Cookbook Chronicles: Country Potato Soup

Cookbook Chronicles is an on-going series at The Bookery. Over the course of the next year, we'll delve into Joanna Gaines' first cookbook, Magnolia Table, trying one recipe per month.

A few weeks into the pandemic—when I was working from home, going to church from home, and literally doing everything from home—I knew I had to find ways to ease the monotony. One of the things I decided to do was make one new recipe a week. The experience was so rewarding that I wanted to share it with you!

The recipe: Country Potato Soup

The cookbook: Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines, page 103

The details: One of the reasons I enjoy Joanna's approach is that her recipes usually don't involve a thousand steps, and the instructions are clear and straightforward. If you're a beginning cook, she describes exactly what you need to do and gives estimates of how long major steps should take. You won't be left wondering how long to simmer something or when to add flour or broth.

The adjustments: I made a list of ingredients I'd need from the store, but just as you'd expect, there were a few things I had to adjust or modify when making the soup.

• The recipe calls for a 48 ounce box of broth. I didn't write that down on my list and simply bought a box of broth without looking at the volume. So, I only had 32 ounces of chicken broth. I added two cups of water in order to add the six cups of liquid the recipe calls for.

• The recipe also calls for two cups of whole milk, but I never have whole milk in the house. I used the remainder of a carton of heavy cream I needed to use and 2% milk. Everything turned out fine!

• Joanna offers estimates on how long to simmer after adding the broth and after adding the milk. I had to simmer the soup a little longer after adding the milk in order for the potatoes to fully cook, about 20 minutes (Joanna estimates 15 minutes). The potatoes should retain their shape but shouldn't be hard. You should be able to easily break them apart with a spoon but they shouldn't be incredibly mushy.

The verdict: This soup is good! But this isn't a quick throw-together meal, so don't try to make it on a night when you're in a hurry and need something on the table in 15 minutes. Because of the chopping required, it could be a little daunting to a beginning cook. Yes, it takes a little time, but it's worth it. This soup will be on regular rotation in my house throughout the fall and winter, especially when I have friends and family coming over since it makes a ton!

Up next month: Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, page 193

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