This comforting soup is perfect for a cool fall or winter evening. Nobody will guess that it was made in just a few minutes with a homemade Cream Soup Mix (link at the bottom of this recipe), or that it was made with dried vegetables. This recipe was developed for use in a class I taught a few years ago on using the items in your food storage. Of course if you don’t have dried veggies in your storage, you may use fresh ones; the taste will be about the same, and maybe even better. The downside will be that you have to chop the vegetables, and that takes a little more time.

I’ve found that if I chop extra onions, celery, green peppers, etc. when I’m preparing dishes, then pack the extra in plastic Ziploc bags and put them in the freezer, I have them ready for the days that I’m in a hurry. These items are also available in the freezer section of your grocery store.

Dried onion is one of those staples that I always keep on my cupboard shelves. With dried onions, I can save a lot of time when making things like meatballs, meatloaves, soups, and other dishes that are moist or have liquid ingredients. There is absolutely no difference in the taste, and I don’t have to chop onions or pull them out of my freezer. Dried onions are very inexpensive and can be found at any grocery store.

This soup is especially good with a square of piping hot cornbread bathed in real butter!

4 medium potatoes, peeled and rinsed off, or 2 cups dehydrated sliced or cubed potatoes
6 cups water (8 cups water if using the dehydrated potatoes)
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup dried onion or 1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons dehydrated celery, or 3 stalks, chopped
2 cups Basic Cream Soup Mix
2 cups grated cheese or ½ cup powdered cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Slice the potatoes thinly and place them in the water along with the salt, onions, celery, and green pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender.

Mix the cream soup mix with 2 cups of the cooking liquid and stir until smooth; add the potato mixture and bring to a boil, breaking up some of the potatoes. Turn the heat down and stir in the cheese; stir until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Basic Cream Soup Mix

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