Creamy Potato and Calabacitas Soup

Creamy Potato and Calabacitas Soup

In northern New Mexico, a favorite side dish is “Calabacitas”, a combination of squash, corn, onion, and green chile.  At the Pantry Restaurant, their version is a creamy version that we love. We also love Twice-Baked Potato Soup.  So we thought, “Why not combine the two?” This is a great comfort food for cold winter nights.  It is meatless, but you can add chopped ham or rotisserie chicken. 

Creamy Potato and Calabacitas Soup 

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes

1/3 cup diced celery

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1/3 cup carrot, diced (optional)

1 cup diced zucchini squash (about one medium)

1 cup frozen corn

3 1/4 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste

5 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk (2% milk works fine)

1/2 cup chopped green chile, or to taste

Instructions

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, carrot, squash, corn and chicken broth in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 15 to 25 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper and green chile.

In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk so that lumps don't form and until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, add the green chile, and cook soup until heated through.

Top with cheddar cheese, chives, and/or chopped bacon if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

Add 1-2 cups chopped ham or pre-cooked rotisserie chicken in the first step (while cooking the vegetables.)

Source: adapted from Allrecipes.com