The Soup Series: Creamy Potatoe

I drank a lot of coffee today and for dinner found myself wanting to try something totally new.
I have never made soup, so I thought I would try. I didn't want to have to go buy anything (it's been one of those days....haven't left the dorm since my run this morning) and I figured, well, what do I have in my cupboards? A sack of potatoes.

So I made potato soup with Clara. I found a whicked easy recipe and the only thing I added was a bit of creamy cheese (the laughing cow kind, a Turkish friend from my floor gave it to me, while I was stirring forever and adding more and more milk!). This soup was so successful, I want to try a new soup every week (until it gets too hot outside for soup).

Easy, Good Potato Soup:

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 1/2 cups milk

1 1/3 cups mashed potatoes (the recipe called for instant, but we made our own, because, well we're in austria and they have good potatoes!)

 Paprika

 Cheese (optional, but advised)

First make the mashed potatoes, then set aside. Put all other ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to slow boil, then dump the mashed potatoes in and stir for an eternity until it gets to the desired creaminess. Expect to add more milk than the recipe calls for while stirring, it increases the creaminess. to be fancy, put a dash of paprika on each bowlful and some sprigs of parsley (the parsley was lacking from my version...next time). I also am going to double the onion next time, just because onion is delicious.

Coming up on The Soup Series: Homemade Tomato Soup, sometime next week
 UPDATE!!! My Turkish friend just had me try her carrot soup, and THAT is going to be my soup-of-the-week next week!