Potato Soup

8 cups Potato's peeled and cubed

6 cans chicken broth
2 carrots peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery sliced
1 onion diced
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 1/2 cups ham cooked and cubed
3 T salt pork, minced
4 T butter
6 T flour
1 cup cream
salt to taste
Hot chili powder to taste - we have this hot stuff
from the spice house in Geneva and its great.
Depending how you like it maybe 4-6T! you won't regret it!!
fresh chives for garnish
white pepper


In a large soup pot, cook the potato's, carrots and celery in the chicken broth until soft. About 20-25 minutes. Add about 1 t of salt.

In a small sauce pan add the salt pork and render it down until you have 2 T liquid and the salt pork is slightly crispy. Remove the salt pork and add to the soup pot. With the remaining liquid add the butter and cook until bubbly. Add the onions and garlic and cook about 5 minutes until the onion is slightly clear. Add the flour and cook until all mixed. This will make a roux that will help create a nice consistency in your soup. If you don't have salt pork, you can just use 6 T butter instead of 4T.

With your soup boiling add the roux and whisk until all combined.  Next you need to break down some of the vegetables, so with a potato masher or  an immersion blender, slightly mash or blend the soup, leaving some vegetables whole, to give a nice texture. You can add your chili powder now or add it to your bowl.

Add the ham and the cream and simmer another 5 minutes. Add salt to taste. Dish it up and garnish with chopped fresh chives and white pepper. Add your chile powder  now if you didn't already and enjoy!