This simple cilantro and potato soup is a derivation from the Portuguese (known to them as Sopa de Coentro) and will be popular amongst any folks who favor the flavor of the delicious Queen Of Herbs, which is what my dead mother always called cilantro. I can still see the capitalization on each of her hand-written 4 x 6 recipe cards of dishes that she accumulated, borrowed or invented over the course of more than fifty years of fine home cookery.

These amounts will do for 6-8 people, depending on the enthusiasm of their gullets. Can be served hot or cold, here's how:

  • Start off with 4 tbls of olive oil
  • Chop 4 onions
  • Mince 2 cloves of garlic
  • Peel and chop 4 medium potatoes
  • Add 6 cups of chicken stock
  • Salt to taste (but not too much early if you didn't use a low-sodium stock)
  • A sprinkle or dash of cayenne pepper as your courage allows
  • 1/2 cup or more of cilantro finely chopped

In a decent saucepan sauté (literaly from the French to jump) the onions and garlic in the first 3 spoonfuls of oil for 4 or 5 minutes.

When they're playfully limp add the last spoonful of oil and the potatoes and stir-fry for a couple minutes more. Now add your chicken stock, cover and simmer for about three quarters of an hour, by which time your potatoes should be pleasingly mushy.

Puree the remainder and then return your soup to the pan for seasoning with cayenne, cilantro and salt. Transfer to something airtight and refrigerate for a good 24 hours.

As mentioned this soup works well hot or cold. If you do reheat it, do so by way of a slow simmer before serving sprinkled with the Queen, attended greenly by chopped chives if you have some freshly to hand.

Aprecíe!




Angela says: Mmm, sounds good, even better if you swap the chicken stock for vegetable, so veg*ns can eat it. : )

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