Sopa de Papa

My sister keenly tapped into my love of old books, specifically cookbooks, along with my recent love affair with Mexico when selecting my birthday gift this year. At times The Food and Drink of Mexico (1964) has a hilariously antiquated tone – “have your woman drain the beans” – but who cares? It’s such a cozy book full of inspired recipes. For my first go at it, I was attracted to the warmth and simplicity of the recipe for Sopa de Papa (Potato Soup Supreme). I used fantastic yukon gold potatoes from the farmer’s market and I’m convinced that they key to this dish is using the best potatoes you can find. The resulting soup is perfectly simple and delicious. Behold…

Sopa de Papa (Potato Soup Supreme)

5 medium potatoes
2 tbs butter
1 whole leek sliced thin
1 can tomato sauce (i used diced tomatoes)
1 chopped onion
1 small garlic clove, chopped
Salt and Pepper
1 quart chicken broth

Peel the potatoes and slice lengthwise in very thin strips. Melt the butter in a ceramic pot and saute potatoes and leek until transparent but not singed. Add the tomato, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes. Now pour in the broth and cook until potatoes are tender. Four healthy helpings.