Baked Potato Method

• Russet potatoes, also known as baking potatoes, contain the most starch to naturally thicken your soup. To cook unattended in the oven, start by scrubbing the potatoes and piercing them several times with a fork. Bake for 1 hour. Alternatively, microwave on high power for 5 minutes, flip the potato over, and microwave for 5 minutes more. When the spuds have cooled, slice and scoop out the cooked potato and add to your cooking pot. For more texture and nutrition, use the potato skins; for a smooth soup, discard the skins.

Boiling Potatoes

• One secret to thickening potato soup is to reserve some of the cooking liquid from boiling potatoes. If your recipe asks you to boil the spuds and all you have are three ingredients -- potatoes, butter and milk -- reserve some of the vegetable flavored water as your stock base. Choose diced russets to add body, or waxy potatoes such as baby reds or Yukon gold for tender potato chunks. Boil the diced, raw potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes until tender. It’s up to you whether to leave on the skins, but be sure to rinse your potatoes before preparing.

Preparing the Soup

• After cooking the potatoes, melt the butter in a pot large enough to accommodate your ingredients. Be generous with your butter, using about 2 tablespoons per 2 to 3 medium potatoes. Add your cooked potatoes and stir into the melted butter over medium heat. If you have potato water, use just enough to moisten the spuds -- too much will make your soup thin -- and heat to boiling over medium heat. For baked potatoes, slowly stir in the milk while mashing up the potatoes and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Add salt or pepper to taste. Other spices such as onion in any form -- chives, powder or flakes -- make natural complements.

Adding Milk and Blending

• To avoid scorching and over-boiling, add milk to cream soups after the vegetables are tender and everything is finished cooking. For smooth soup from potato chunks, wait until the soup has cooled before transferring it to a blender. Work in small batches, using the reserved cooking liquid and milk to achieve the desired thickness, and puree. Alternatively, use an immersion blender and keep all the ingredients in the pot, adding the milk in slowly. To add texture, only blend half of the soup, leaving some chunks of potato. Crumbled bacon, cheese, sour cream and chopped chives makes for tasty and colorful garnish.

Alternate Method

• If you only want to dirty up one pot, start with raw potatoes and dice into small chunks. Melt the butter, add your spuds and stir until well coated. This initial searing helps lock in flavor and create resistant starch. Add enough water just to cover the potatoes, and boil at a low simmer until tender. Mash the potatoes with a fork or potato masher and add the milk, or use an immersion blender, or transfer in small batches to a blender and whir until smooth. Remember to taste and correct the seasonings after adding the milk.