Tater Soup

I’m not really a big fan of soup – but I recognize its value in making a quick, cheap, nutritious meal from leftovers.  Last week I told of making soup from a leftover turkey carcass - http://mellinniumcowboy.blogspot.com/2012/02/turkey-soup.html.  This week I had some chunks leftover from a spiral-cut ham.

It didn’t take long to cube a few potatoes and throw them in a pot.  (I buy red potatoes and leave the skin on – as the skin has most of the nutrition, and I am lazy.)  Then I sliced some onions and added them to the pan.  I had diced the ham when I cut it off the bone – of course saving the bone for bean soup. 

While the taters were cooking I put some butter in a small frying pan and melted it, then added flour enough to soak up all the butter.  When the spuds were done I poured their cooking water into the roux, added enough canned milk to give the sauce the appropriate consistency, and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Adding the sauce back to the potatoes, I now had a thick, hearty, and tasty soup - for pennies.