Potato Soup with Mustard Greens

Recipe courtesy of Deborah Madison

2 tablespoons olive oil or butter

2 onions, finely diced

3 small bay leaves

2 lbs of potatoes, peeled

Salt and freshly cracked pepper

2 tablespoons chopped pepper

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat, add the onions and bay leaves, and cook slowly. Meanwhile quarter each potato lengthwise, then thinly slice. Irregular pieces are fine, the smaller ones will fall apart, giving body to the soup.

Add the potatoes, raise the heat, and sauté, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to color and glaze builds up on the bottom of the pan, about 10 minutes. Add 1 ½ teaspoons salt and 1 cup of water. Scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen the solids. Add 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, taste for salt, season with pepper, and stir in the parsley.

For a smoother soup with more body, puree half of it, then return to the pot, or use the back of a wooden spoon to smash the potatoes against the pot.

Virtually all greens are good with potatoes, but especially assertive mustard greens. Boil one bunch, without the stems until tender and bright green, about 5 to 10 minutes. Drain, and coarsely chop them. Stir them into the soup along with 2 or 3 pinches of red pepper flakes. Serve with shavings of Parmesan cheese over each bowl.

*If you find mustard greens flavor a little strong for your taste, just cook then a little longer. Their flavor mellows the longer you cook them. They can be combined with spinach or chopped broccoli, or any other cooking green.

Sweet!