Roasted Vegetables with Za'atar
Grasshoppers in my salt, you say!

Frila Soup

Happy New Year everyone. Yes, I've been away for a while, I sure miss posting to my little blog and thank you for letting me know I was missed. I'll be catching up with everything as we go along, but for now, I want to wish you all a great new year and start you off with a great soup to help keep you warm this winter.

This recipe was shared with me when I lived in Yuma, AZ, probably 25 to 30 years ago by a Yuma Fireman. It was a firehouse staple, and I felt privileged that it was shared with me, and now I'm sharing it with you. It's basically a potato soup recipe that bears the name of the deceased firefighter that created it, Joe Frila. I was never given any amounts, just ingredients and the rest I figured out myself.

Now I'm going to make a short story long, as I'm apt to do from time to time. I have been making the soup for many years and it has become a family favorite, especially when we would go camping in the mountains. One such trip, as I was getting ready to make the soup for 30 + people, I discovered I forgot to pack the potato masher and no one among our group had one either. So I went like a little beggar girl to the neighboring campsites hoping someone would have one (I can make a pretty pitiful looking face when needed ;-)
thankfully the campsite across the road from us had one that they would happily loan me. They asked me what I was going to make, I told them Frila and it's a soup I learned from Yuma fireman and it's named after the fireman Joe Frila etc...come to find out, I was talking to his family members, insert <what a small world> here. They asked if they could try some when I was done...like yes...of course you can. They were very complimentary and told me I was spot and and did him proud. YES!!!!!

I think you and your family will like it as much as we do.

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 I topped it with a bit of diced green chili and a little more cheese.

 

Let's make some soup

 So, let's pretend I remembered to get a shot of all the ingredients, and you are looking a picture of 3 potatoes that have been peeled and diced, 1/2 cup of diced onion, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 cups chicken broth, 2 ounces of cream cheese and 3/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese.

  Now in a saucepan, you are going to sauté the onion in the butter until it starts to soften,

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 then add in the diced potatoes and stir well to coat the potatoes with the butter.

 

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 Add enough chicken broth to just barely cover the potatoes, it might not take the whole two cups.

Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cover and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender.

 

Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes, but not totally smooth.  

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You want it not too soupy nor like mashed potatoes.  
If they are too tight, add a little more chicken broth.

 

  Keeping the saucepan at a simmer,

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Whisk in the cream cheese, little chunks at a time,

 

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and the shredded cheese a little at at time.

Stir, stir, mix, mix.

 

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 Add some fresh ground black pepper and enjoy. 

 

 Here's the recipe for you.

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Frila Potato Soup

soups/stews

3 medium potatoes; peeled, diced
1/2 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chicken broth
2 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Sauté the onion in the butter until it starts to soften,  then add in the diced potatoes and stir well to coat the potatoes with the butter.  Add enough chicken broth to just barely cover the potatoes, it might not take the whole two cups. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cover and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes, but not totally smooth. You want it not too soupy nor like mashed potatoes. If they are too tight, add a little more chicken broth. Keeping the saucepan at a simmer, whisk in the cream cheese, little chunks at a time, and the shredded cheese a little at a time. Stir, stir, mix, mix. Add some fresh ground black pepper and enjoy.

Yield: 4 servings

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.91 **

And that's that 

 

 

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