Depression Era Potato Soup Recipe

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

Thanks for watching. If you liked it - subscribe, give us a thumbs up, comment, and check out our channel for more great recipes. Please click that share button and share with your friends on Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook. ^^^^Full recipe in the info section below the video.^^^^

[@Mcgufa]

i was literally thinking the other day you should try and recreate kfc chicken haha, looking forward to it

[@deebee8918]

Please do Welsh rarebit! It’s such a good comfort food... oh and buy whole milk for it (it’ll be worth it). Love your vids, and how you explain your thought processes. Keep up the tasty work 😋

[@luiseatoll6368]

Quick question about the cream substitute: how much cream would you have put in if we're doing this recipe?

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

@@luiseatoll6368 I'd probably replace 1/3 of the milk with 35% cream.

[@thomasranjit7781]

U r incredible..

[@markmeyer6800]

Depression area, My mother cooked like this my whole childhood in the 80’s and 90’s. We never went hungry she always made it work.

[@Schelle7000]

Mine too! We ate potato soup like this except my mom never mashed up the potatoes(yuck), and she cooked hers down a bit to make it thicker. She also used canned milk since it was cheaper than fresh milk back then. We loved that soup, and I still make it, even as an adult. Sometimes simpler is better, imo.

[@Cattail1997]

Me too, it’s my favourite soup

[@ennismccaffrey3227]

Awesome!

[@sandy_sd10]

I make this with frozen peas, and evaporated milk.

[@pattywinrod5424]

@@ennismccaffrey3227 my mom made it with chicken broth instead of water and no milk and did not mash potatoes up

[@debtouchet2243]

I'm 72 and this soup was the soup my grandmother would start making as son as she knew someone was ill.

[@LittleChainring]

My mom did the same thing.

[@lanem4091]

My grandparents lived through the Great Depression in Iowa and Nebraska. This what I knew of as potato soup until I was in my twenties. If you have the butter for it in the first place, use it to soften the onions a bit before adding potatoes and water. Add some salt now, too. Lid on is good. To thicken it a little, bring it back to a medium simmer for a couple minutes after the mashing and before the milk. This gets the starch in the potatoes more active. In our house, it wasn’t potato soup if it had all the vegetables in it, that was vegetable chowder and got made in summer when the last of the potatoes were in there just for starch and the garden produce filled out the rest. Potato soup could have cheddar or Colby cheese if there was some, or leftover bits of ham if there wasn’t enough for sandwiches or casserole. Even at its simplest, this soup is warm and comforting and the milk and potatoes together make a complete protein. Honestly, this soup is one of my family traditions.

[@carylhalfwassen8555]

Lane M Milk is a complete protein, potatoes do not add any protein but do have important vitamins and minerals.

[@sewforlife5728]

@@carylhalfwassen8555 actually a med potato has about 5g of protein. They contains all the essential amino acids you need to build proteins, repair cells, and fight diseases. And eating just five of them a day you could survive on potatoes alone. Although eventually you would run into vitamin and mineral deficiencies.😕

[@katherineeckrich2039]

You have to add butter. 👍

[@sewforlife5728]

@@katherineeckrich2039 oh god yes. It helps thicken and what r potatoes without butter.😉

[@JGUNW1R3D]

Caryl Halfwassen actually potatoes DO have protein in them. About 3.5 grams per cup (according to the USDA).

[@sw2849]

My Mom was a teenager in the depression years on a potato, turkeys and apple farm. She used the same basic recipe, made it a little thicker and called it stewed potatoes as a side dish. Tons of pepper and I still make it. Thanks for the video and memories.

[@mashedpotatojohnson2]

My mom makes stewed potatoes as a side dish, just as you described. She's just turned 60, grew up eating this all the time.

[@ibandamoo8188]

Bag of milk...and a bag of bag of milk That some wild canadian things !

[@MetelAdict]

iban damoo to be fair that’s a central Canada thing. Out west we just have the 2 and 4 l jugs.

[@austin2842]

As Brady said. I'm out west and I was as surprised by the bag of milk thing as you.

[@mindspring20]

More eastern, Manitoba we use cartons and jugs too

[@MF-LXRD]

Your English is very awful go back to school please.

[@iododendron3416]

If you go rural, milk even comes in cows!

[@Pinkieout]

This is how we always had Potato Soup per Grandma’s recipe. She’s 91 years young and with more butter and canned milk/evaporated milk. Good stuff 🤤

[@jepurl1]

I live in Texas and my forefathers lived on a farm during the depression and it was exactly as you said--they had many things available to them they they grew and canned that city people did not have. My grandparents said that the Depression wasn't really a big change for them--they never had any money anyway. The three foods they usually had to buy was coffee, some sugar , some flour and maybe tobacco. A lot of their sugar needs was met by local cane sorghum syrup and honey. Also, they ate a lot of cornbread they they milled from their own corn-a very simple type that had no flour. Also what meat they had was chicken and pork--not beef. A cow was too useful and a steer was valuable to sell, so they ate pork which had very little value and a sow pig was very prolific and ate anything.

[@VVeremoose]

🎶Well, someone told us Wall Street fell, but we were so poor that we couldn't tell🎶

[@kyfarm]

Jim Purl my grandmother lived the same way and said the same thing.

[@kyfarm]

@@VVeremoose Exactly

[@martyshannon7542]

My Grandparents out side of Palestine Texas pretty much the same thing. Even Opossum and Raccoons avoided humans.

[@GypsyJackie2]

I’m certainly glad today I learned all my nanny’s old recipes and how to make food stretch I love this soup I’ve eaten it my whole life was making it myself by age six my family is from Littlefield Texas

[@moewilson4605]

I love the stained pages of the cookbook. My mom has been gone since 2010, I still have her box of recipe cards covered in stains and her scribbled on notes. When I flip through looking for her recipes of baked bean, tea biscuits and ginger cookies, etc...I think of her.

[@sionmagee33]

My depression soup recipe: 1 bottle of cheap whiskey. An old cigarette i found under the bed.

[@saoricuzu5571]

You made my day

[@barbarat5729]

That's hilarious!

[@agrestibookkeeper9894]

YES!!!

[@erinkarpinec3678]

Same

[@justinorwen1739]

Lol.

[@irvingcm58]

I've been making potato and onion soup for a "life age of the earth" and the MOST amazing thing about this dish is how it can knock out a cold or the flu. A winter weather mainstay!

[@tjs114]

My grandmother made her own celery salt each year at the end of growing season. She'd take the celery that she allowed to go to seed and chop it up and put it in 2Lb of salt. My father says it was a weekly activity to 'shake the celery'.

[@angelique00angelique]

tjs114 oh wow! I honestly never thought how celery salt was made lol

[@babs3343]

My mother grew up during the depression but never remembered being hungry. Her dad worked in the coal mines but also raised meat and veggies. They had a lot of younger cousin’s visited and stay for awhile. She was fortunate enough never being hungry.

[@douglascampbell9809]

My Mother, Aunts, Uncles, and Grandmother all lived through The Great Depression. Lost of these recipes would have been fortified with items from the root cellar. I do believe you are correct with the milk. They would have used raw milk so it would have had none of the cream separated out. They used to tell me that even with the bottled milk there would be a layer of cream at the top.

[@sharonfoster4310]

That's true about bottled milk having cream on top. Growing up in the 1950s, we had milk delivered into an insulated box on the porch. We were expected to spoon out the cream before using a fresh bottle so dad had cream for his coffee. The cream was kept in a small cream pitcher

[@serenejellyfishgames]

I am also Canadian (from the Golden Horseshoe area), and ate this soup when I was growing up. It was a recipe that my grandmother made quite frequently for us, and that my parents still make today. The version we made used canned, evaporated milk (undiluted) instead of fresh but it is otherwise identical. I can remember that every time my grandmother made it, she would grate some cheddar into the soup and remind us that when she was a girl they didn't add cheese to theirs because that would have been a waste or unnecessary luxury but that she thought it tasted better with it. We also usually ate it with (large quantities of) buttered bread--sometimes a nice crusty loaf from the bakery a few streets over. I tried making it once for my husband and kids but they didn't care for the texture of it, and the way the mashed potatoes sort of sink into the bottom of the bowl. I've since changed it beyond all recognition but potato soup in some fashion remains a fixture in my life.

[@laurelreynolds5890]

My mom always made a soup almost exactly like this for us when we were sick. Simple but we all loved it and it was our comfort food when we were sick. ❤️

[@mslisadianemorse]

Laurel Reynolds omg! Me too! It's my ultimate comfort food.

[@msalyssababy]

Same here! I’m pretty sure soup is responsible for half of the healing when I get sick. lol

[@catherinerussell4581]

Laurel my momma always made this for us when we were sick.

[@jadsel]

Same at our house, and I still start craving some whenever I'm feeling under the weather. My mom always used celery in there too. These days, I like to use vegetable bouillon instead of water at the beginning, and also fry the onion/celery a little in the butter if I feel like it. The little extra flavor from both is great. But, rarely stray much farther from the original, especially when I am sick.

[@cameronrau6142]

This reminds me so much of my mother’s potato soup. Very thin, milky and basic but so satisfying. Twenty years later I can still remember the taste. Thank you for posting😊

[@marcbotnope1728]

You did the milk in plastic bag shot to trigger people.... nice.

[@asphere8]

@@stormbob it's very good for reducing waste! Bags use a lot less plastic than jugs, and since they come in smaller quantities it's easy to use all of the milk before it spoils.

[@dontakeshit]

I respect him for putting a fresh bag into the holder and cutting it. Instead of leaving the empty bag in the holder for someone else to deal with

[@cova4218]

I remember having bagged milk at the elementary school I went to in GA in the late 80s/early 90s. I recall there being a bit of a messy learning curve using them.

[@xnonsuchx]

@@asphere8 But you also can't recycle/compost them (at least in many places) like you can plastic bottles/jugs, cartons and glass. And they don't have pint/quart/half gallon (or liter-based) containers in your area??? The bags are also often clear (as are glass and some plastic bottles) and milk/cream is sensitive to light, which shouldn't be a problem in a home fridge, but stores usually have clear glass windows in their refrigerated/frozen areas. I always stick to cartons/opaque plastic. Leaving an open spout in the fridge (like he seemed to) can also be bad since it can absorb flavors unsealed.

[@devi0121]

@@aaron74 lived my entire life in Minnesota. Grew up in Northern Minnesota about 2 hours from the Canadian border. Never, in my life, have I seen bagged milk like this.

[@kab4292]

this is how my mother made potato soup except the potatoes were cut into bite size chunks and the onion was diced small. She never mashed it up either. An entire stick of margarine was put in at the end which caused this sort of yellow skin to form on the top after it sat for a while so you always had to give it a good stir when you went back for more. It was always served with cornbread from a mix. It was so comforting and we all loved it.

[@peekopakanko7053]

Glen: “maybe add about a tablespoon of butter” Also Glen: puts in 1/2 cup stick of butter

[@sneakertoes1]

This is reminding me of the Stone Soup story.

[@Megalaneman]

You should roast the Potatos and the Onions in the Butter before fillling up with water, it alway gives you more taste!

[@momentsformoms9467]

der laneman I hope it remember this comment when I decide to make it. I would use some type of plant milk though so I’m not sure if it’ll be close to the same but it seems to work fine for mashed potatoes for me so it’s possible.

[@anniesavidge2468]

Do you just roast them in the oven? Like baked potatoes. Does sound good

[@lorilorenz9758]

I cook my onions in butter till soft, boil my potatoes in small cubes, partially drain, add half a stick of butter, a mix of evaporated milk and water, salt and pepper.

[@jazzbaby6]

Exactly. Cut up 0potatoes and onions, saute with butter on top the stove, then add water and milk salt and pepper.

[@vegout4085]

Sounds yummy , but I'm pretty sure the point was to follow an old recipe which he did.

[@MyCbriggs]

I had this for dinner. Mom was a teenager during the depression and she made all kinds of wonderful tasting recipes my daughter who's in her 20s loves and makes it also. We put onion powder and garlic powder as well as salt and pepper

[@Moonlitverse]

I grew up eating this and still make it today. My family loves it. Only addition I do is celery.

[@01SaltyWitch]

We do carrots and celery, the meat eaters do chicken. But really pretty similar to this.

[@iododendron3416]

Really great with leek, too. Comfort food for late autumn / winter.

[@morganduda3274]

Rivels make it great! It’s literally just egg and flour mixed together and plopped in like dumplings

[@mapycia]

@@iododendron3416 Do you add leeks with onions or later?

[@mapycia]

@@01SaltyWitch Do you add carrots and celery with onions or later?

[@noliverk]

"This gentleman sounds Canadian" *breaks out a bag of milk* "I'm so clever and observant!"

[@julieneises8851]

I was wondering about milk in a bag... Never heard of it.

[@robinholbrook8296]

@@julieneises8851 was it dry milk?

[@papermoon4129]

Actually it’s only found in eastern Canada .

[@temporaryscars]

@@papermoon4129 yup, Ontario only, the weirdos.

[@leal536]

This is exactly the recipe I use for my potato soup - same as my mother (who grew up during the depression) used. As I was growing up, we ate potato soup often and to this day, it is a comfort food for me. I was raised on a farm where we grew all of our own veggies, meat and milked a couple of cows for all our dairy needs. So, the milk/cream and butter were very fresh and the potatoes either right out of our garden or our root cellar. Now I use evaporated milk.

[@jennhrbek7959]

My Daddy was born in 1927 in Oklahoma; the same soup but used evaporated milk and 1 stuck of butter and no mashing taters. I still make that soup today…it’s one of my comfort foods for sure. I add broccoli and cauliflower sometimes. Sometimes baby carrots and peas. Love it!!

[@wanderer1343]

My Mother made potato soup just like that, her Mother taught her. I loved the simplicity of it and would never add anything to it.

[@bernardcleary4330]

This is essentially the basis for all the chowders and many other soups my mother and grandmothers used to make, with one addition: salt pork. Clam chowder, corn chowder, potato chowder all started like this, but a tablespoon or two of diced salt pork was rendered in the pot before adding the potatoes, onions, and water.

[@TheNorwegianNerd]

omg! the fabled bag of milk!!!

[@justinbussell7637]

Is that real milk? I have never heard of bag of milk before, must be a Canadian thing

[@writerpatrick]

It's standard in Canada. As you can see it's President's Choice (PC) which is a Canadian store brand. And it's in liters.

[@lisal4824]

I lived in South African in the 90s and we always bought milk in bags. Were able to freeze it too. Its disappointing this has never taken off in America.

[@natureboy6410]

@@lisal4824 I freeze the jugs all the time, when I catch them on sale.

[@TheIdeabaker]

We have those in NZ as well!

[@cardur6475]

This explaines why my dad made his potato soup this way. His mother before him, who wld have been in her late 20’s to early 30’s or so in the 1930’s, probably made it this very way. I didn’t know any better until I was an adult and had a much thicker and substantial potato soup. He also never put enough ham in ham and beans, or enough beef in beef stew. He made it just like his mother did! Thanks Glen!

[@DACFalloutRanger]

You're like Townsend's but for the early 20th century

[@Ironraven24]

townsends definitely puts a lot more work into explaining the history behind it all

[@arthas640]

i've been saying for awhile they need to do a collaboration, they're both cheerful, friendly chefs that like to relive history through food and read old cook books.

[@markowalski1]

Can anyone recommend similar channels? I love the food history

[@arthas640]

@@markowalski1 "Modern History" has a short series of dedicated food videos and a tv show that's on youtube called "worst jobs in history" talks about food.

[@arthas640]

@@markowalski1 "sandroman history" and "invicta" both have some good roman centered food videos too. "Townsends" is hands down the king of historical food videos though, hes got over 100 of them

[@GPXgirl]

When I was a kid, my mom used to make a depression era soup. My grandpa grew up in the depression. It was a simple soup with ground beef, potatoes, onions, celery, salt, pepper and water. I can still taste it! I live in the midwest, we have bags of milk here! I have one in my fridge. LOL

[@kathyleighton9091]

I make that now. A can of diced tomatoes, can of diced potatoes, can of mixed veggies, hamburg and either beef broth or bouillon. Season to taste.

[@jennblosil]

as if i wasn’t spooked before , KZbin JUST RECOMMENDED THIS TO ME 🥺🥺🥺❤️. Anyone else?? xxx

[@coolstuffjokesandmor]

Yep.

[@californiadreamer5968]

I was born and raised in CA but my folks were both from depression era Iowa farms. I grew up eating this and so did my children and grandchildren. Differences, we cut our potatoes and didn’t mash them and the best part, dumplings. 4 eggs a splash of water and salt. Mix and drop from teaspoon into boiling water after potatoes soften and before milk is added. Boil a few minutes they will float to the top. Just keep cramming them in there. They are the best part! Chewy and delicious. Yum!!

[@danielm0rk]

I only recently discovered your channel and I must say it has quickly become one of my favorite. I just absolutely love the calmness and unpretentious vibe. Very educational as well!

[@kathleenrobertson5182]

This is the recipe my mom used, except she sliced the potatoes and onions. We got this every time we were snowed in, and any time we really begged her for it. It may have been Depression Era, but it was a real treat for us.

[@conniepreston3985]

My Grandmother made this for me when I was a kid. It was my favorite and still is, this is a great base for clam chowder.

[@emilyjeffords5907]

My grandmother made potato soup last night and it was so good. Can't tell you how she makes it, but I kept going back for more. So good and so filling on a cold winter day.

[@yx6889]

This is my first time seeing the bag of milk, it's interesting. I've never seen that before, thanks for broadening my horizon and blowing my mind a little bit lol.

[@pamelaspooner8335]

Yes, I wondered how it was packaged to sit on the dairy shelf, imagining it stacked up like cord wood!

[@essaboselin5252]

I don't know why Canadian dairy decided to package and ship milk in bags, but it identifies the show as based in Canada - if the accent didn't give it away.

[@mrssomuchmore7193]

@@essaboselin5252 here in Wisconsin kwik trip (a gas station) sells bagged milk

[@Sendarya]

I just made this last night, without even realizing it's a depression recipe. The only difference is that I cooked it in broth, not water, and added a little broccoli (because I wanted to use up all my fresh veg before it spoils). This is such a hearty, tasty, easy, inexpensive dinner that even kids will enjoy! Add in some fresh bread, and it's even a real treat.

[@cherylann9781]

I grew up with soup made like this, my mom was raised in rural Arkansas during the depression. She did add bacon (always) and sometime celery. She would serve with hoe cakes. We loved it.

[@seichorn4079]

that's how my mama taught me too.

[@johnpowell1841]

I love the way you keep the cooking area uncluttered!!

[@2k10ben1]

This is the base to a Dublin coddle, and all the seasonings you’ve been mentioning (except hot sauce) work well in a coddle! My favorite dish

[@MrsRosewater]

Similar recipe I learned from my grandmother who raised 8 children in the depression era days. She would cut up potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes into a pot with similar sized onions and celery, salt and pepper. She covered it with water just barely enough to cover. then she cook it down, covered on low heat, until all was well-cooked and pretty much falling apart, and the water was reduced to almost nothing left in the pot at all. Then she opened a can of evaporated milk and poured the whole can in, then let it simmer just a few minutes until all was thick and blended. She served with saltines or oyster crackers sometimes. I still make this recipe and love it. It brings me back to my grandmother's kitchen every time.

[@sandranevins2144]

It's one of the staples in the kitchen, jazz it up to taste. Big plus, extra company shows up, add more of what ever, potatoes, onions, carrots.....

[@patklickmangormanrussell2613]

Perfect, my family recipe! I learned this recipe as a child in the 1960's from my parents who were kids during the depression. Often it was made with bacon or bacon for seasoning. My hint is if you want to use less salt add salt to the potato water. Then add more salt if needed. Pasta and potatoes get more flavor when salt is added during the cooking process. Be careful because the salt can concentrate when they are cooking. And the method I learned was not to cover the pan when cooking. The potato and onions are usually cooked down to a thick mush. The base is then thinned out with cream or canned milk. Then salt and pepper to taste. You are right this is also the base for corn or clam chowder. I still make this soup.

[@deborahdean]

My mom taught me how to make this. I still love it. It's my go-to food when I'm sick. The only difference is that we dice the potatoes and do not mash.

[@thatgirl626]

agree.

[@morgancalvi6675]

I LOVE the way she comes wandering in after you do all the work 🤣.

[@jandcschwartz]

My favorite soup as a kid and now. I usually put in enough milk to turn it white and creamy. Lots of salt too.

[@sue7113]

For years, I've tried to find a recipe for the potato soup my grandmother used to make. She was not into cooking so I knew it had to be pretty simple since she showed me how she did it. I think this is about as close to it as anything I've found so I've bookmarked this video. She's been gone for a number of years, all her daughters have been gone for awhile and my Dad had no clue. I'll have to try making this and it looks pretty good as well as quite simple. My grandparents had a guernsey cow which gave really rich milk so I'm sure this soup was quite tasty .

[@harlcc261]

in those days the milk was not filtered etc. so milk would be heavier with guernseys and jerseys. it would be creamier on its own. i remember scooping from milk cooler to take in the house. cream would rise to the top

[@stormy1ru]

I grew up eating a version of this from South Dakota. My mother cooked the onions, water, and potatoes into a thick broth and added canned condensed milk instead. Butter at the end. I later embellished by frying up bacon, adding the onions, potatoes, and water. Cook down to a thick broth and add a can of condensed milk, butter and American cheese slices or grated cheddar. Salt and pepper to taste. Feeds a lot of mouths for little money..

[@auntiejijo244]

stormy1ru my mom was from South Dakota too and she did the exact same thing. She always added the butter last and it kind of layered on top. I still make it for my kids. They love it.

[@stormy1ru]

@@auntiejijo244 Yep.. Nothing like Mom's old recipes! Your kids are lucky!

[@HueyBob24]

Ah, grandma’s comfort food from my childhood, loved this soup! Thank you for doing a video on it.

[@tawniaho5047]

I grew up with this recipe! My grandma had this soup growing up and made it every sunday after church.

[@JennyNobody]

This was actually quite yummy and comforting! I made it tonight and tried it before putting the milk in and it was so good! I'm currently roasting some jalapenos that were at risk of rotting in the fridge to add to it! Will top with cheddar (wish I had some corn lol!) Thanks so much for sharing! Edit: I lied.... I added a head of garlic to the original recipe

[@essaboselin5252]

My mom's family grew up on a farm during the Depression. They had plenty of food, and if they needed something from the store, her father would trade milk, eggs, meat - whatever the store owner needed. My grandmother would hire local women who were struggling to work in the garden or help with laundry, and they were paid a bucket of milk, a basket of produce and a dozen eggs for half-a-day's work. After the TVA took their farm to build a dam, the family's fortunes went downhill, and they had to learn to get by on very little.

[@chottom]

Around here in nordic countries the recipe is very similar and even simpler. Potato (boiled in water), milk and salt. Althought the soup is mashed very fine and much thicker almost like porridge.

[@lannalane4247]

Now we are in the corona virus and I am so grateful to have had depression era parents. Most of Mom's cooking came from that era. I loved he potato soup, and and creamed dried beef on toast, everything was good. People are scrambling for groceries now, and think they have to have things we never had in the house back then.

[@billietyree6139]

My sister-in-law put me onto this, chopped spinach in your potato soup.

[@katherineeckrich2039]

Or add some cheese. Modern 🤷

[@mekon1971]

Or go out in the yard and grab some dandelion greens.

[@Ursichan]

My great grandmother, my mother's mother's mother, came straight from Ireland. She made potato noodles with a similar recipe we STILL make TO THIS DAY!! You start off with potatoes that are chunked into one inch pieces or so. Boil them in water and bacon grease. While the potatoes are going, make noodles using flour, water, and bacon grease. I honestly don't know when to add the noodles, but it is ready to eat when the noodles and potatoes are done. Season with salt, pepper, and vinegar to taste in individual bowls. It is SOOOO GOOD!!!!

[@francesjackson2511]

When I was a child in the 1930's, this seemed to me to be the soup that everybody made. It has always been a comfort food for me, and I made it for my children in the 1950s, and still make it today. An interesting variation was that some people, instead of adding milk or cream, added canned tomatoes. I make this occasionally. Our family loves both versions. I just wonder if anyone else remembers potato soup made with tomatoes..

[@vanessapage8863]

We had this often when I was growing up in the 60's and 70's and I sometimes still make it. We cut the potatoes smaller, put in less water and use cream or milk. Sometimes in the summer we add small cubes of yellow squash in it too. Delicious!

[@sarahstrong7174]

Potatos, carrots & onion makes an excellent soup. No need to add anything unhealthy.

[@MJ-ul7cf]

Like what?

[@stablecondition1581]

my Lord, the only place left on earth with bagged milk, Ontario...love the channel, keep em coming

[@Siteure]

Stumbled on this channel a day or two ago and i love it ! Hello from Paris !

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

my mother, a child of the depression, used to make us the exact same soup while growing up...we also added bacon because it was no longer depression nor pre/post war.....in the 80's this was my favorite meal. LOTs and lots of pepper.....thanks for the reminder.

[@MasterDawZ]

I feel like a quick roux with flour and the mentioned butter at the beginning would do wonders for the texture of this soup, at little to no added cost.

[@Tombombadillo999]

Yea, great idea

[@BarefootInSC]

Yep, have eaten this my whole life. This is a Southern South Carolina staple! My granny always made this, her mama & me for my kids while they were growing up & even now, as adults. Southern cornbread on the side! 😍

[@YsabelGamache]

The milk bag etiquette made me laugh. We are told this from an early age here in Quebec also.

[@dawnbailey3986]

My mom made this for me all the time. And now I make it all the time.

[@hawkeye454]

Being in the USA, the bags of milk still always surprise me. Great video Glen!! I hope to try making this soup.

[@wingedcatperson3243]

My grandmother made potato soup like this for the most part. No milk. Over the years I've added my own twist, whole milk, not much, green onion, a bit of butter and I cheat with better than bullion. Sometimes I add broccoli or cauliflower, and on occasion sausage medallions. My family loves it. We also have a variant called loaded baked potato soup in which we add bacon, cheese, and sour cream. Lovely video.

[@Adam-eo5ff]

At work we have 10L milk bags for a milk dispenser. The night before they go out of date we stab a hole in them and drain the remaining 2L straight into our mouths. It's so damn good. Cheers from Australia.

[@writerpatrick]

You should bring some cereal to work. Or at least chocolate milk mix.

[@Adam-eo5ff]

@@writerpatrick Nothing better than milk by itself my man.

[@jwhite7643]

Adam Blyth damn right. Nectar of the gods

[@wildmildew1]

maybe 8L milk bags would be more economical

[@sandyl2475]

My parents used to make a cheap potato soup when i was growing up. They used 10 large potatoes cut up in small dices. They put half of the potatoes in the pot and boiled them so soft you can mash them all in the pot. Then after mashing add salt, pepper, butter and then the rest of potatoes and simmer until the last potatoes were tender but held its form. We never had milk in ours and it is a thicker soup. WE also had chopped green onions on top from our garden. I still make it to this day!

[@harry-ez2yd]

My sister still makes it the same way here in ohio and it is great ,she just cooks it longer so it's thicker .

[@hawkeye454]

Ever add sausage to yours? I'm from ohio too, we often add Bob Evan's hot sausage.

[@abujahl1725]

Yep, have to simmer it at the end to let the potato starch thicken it.

[@jeffmorse645]

My I was a kid my mom from Oklahoma fixed this for us all the time. It was one of my favorite foods. So good with some fried bacon (not in the soup) and a pan of cornbread. She uses nothing but potatoes, grated onion, milk, butter salt and pepper. She didn't mash the potatoes - she just boiled them until they broke down a bit.

[@vaclavzeleny5717]

I like how you are positive. :)

[@southpawtracy1]

My grandmother who was a practical nurse in the 30's and 40's and she called these "hospital potatoes" and if your sick it was a staple..She did use chicken broth instead of water but that may be something she did later..It did have much less water when ready for the milk and often she used cream or evaporated milk..which was really nice! Lots of black pepper always!!! Now I need to make some!!!

[@keetrandling4530]

dunt understand why the amazement at bags of milk... what do these city folk think udders are?

[@cm01]

That's like saying a mouth is a bag of teeth. Anyway I think it's ironic that people don't have a problem with milk right in a cardboard carton when nobody will eat cereal that escaped from the bag into the box. That pairs well with this strange bagged milk fascination.

[@ethelryan257]

@@cm01 Bagged milk has fallen out of favour in the US, but I remember it briefly in my childhood.

[@LaundryFaerie]

@@ethelryan257 I think they still sell milk in bags in some parts of Wisconsin.

[@tamimartin9149]

Keet Randling 🐄that is so funny!

[@kayjay9383]

This recipe is close to my grandparents recipe except they put way more butter in and used turnips and onions; both of which were grown here in south central Pennsylvania. My grandfather was of Welsh decent. This recipe of his was wonderful. In the late sixties when I was 13/14 years old I would ride my bicycle to my grandparents house and cut the grass, pick the apples, and do anything Pap wanted me to do just so that he would make his potato soup. Problem was I never learned how he made his soup because it was a family secret recipe and I was too young to be taught as per family tradition. I know that he did not smash the potatoes and turnips and onions as severely as you did and he used way more butter than you did and half the milk. Oh, how I wish I could go back in time when family was important and tv was not. I no longer watch tv because of the violence and sex now considered normal instead of being perversion. It is depressing.

[@stixvane]

Yea but didnt these watery soups they would pour over a chunk of old bread

[@milliway2010]

Old bread? What is this "old bread" of which you speak? I hear some people tell of a thing called "leftovers" too.

[@g.cosper8306]

Old family cookbooks are definitely a guide because most cooks guarded their best recipes. Full fat, fresh milk had the cream still floating on top. And the soup probably was left on a warm stove which provided time to thicken. I sautéed the onion in bacon fat first, then simmered the potatoes and onions in water to cover for 20 minutes. After mashing I used half and half for the old-time milk and only 1 T. grass fed, grass finished butter. (Some farmers would scoop a ladle of whatever broth was simmering at the time as well.) Then I let it mellow for about 10 minutes. My other change was using white pepper for a beautiflly cream-white presentation. You were right about the cheddar on top, if there was any to be had, which usually went to the cook. I think you'll find if it sets a bit it will thicken quite nicely. Thank you for sharing these older receipts! My grandmother was an excellent cook during the depression and to me these flavors are priceless. I will be a new sub today.

[@wemblyfez]

“ Bacon and Corn”...You sure you’re not from the US Midwest? 😊 Love watching you two critique your experiments. Thanks again for another great video.

[@rachael501]

Southwestern Ontario is just across Lake Erie from Ohio, and Elmvale is just across the lakes from northern Michigan and Wisconsin so there's a lot of similarities in the types foods available and able to be grown in the region. Colonists also tended to be from similar background (a bit less Nordic but still very WASP-y) so you get the same bland seasoning and heavy on animal fats.

[@kathleenfortner3729]

This is the potato soup I had growing up in the 1950's. We added a little celery, and it was cooked without a lid to allow the water to cook down. Still a comfort food in the winter.

[@watsoeli10]

“Potato Soup” Did you mean: Watery Mashed Potatoes? 😂😂😂

[@katherineeckrich2039]

Something went wrong. 🤷🤦🏽‍♀️

[@sarahbierman5490]

Yeah gross!

[@seigeengine]

Literally all soup is is water with some crap chucked in.

[@dstmars1]

He basically made potato gravy.

[@JGolar]

Lol

[@redrumkm2]

My grandma made a soup just like this for us all the time when we were little. She would always have fresh biscuits or fried dough with it. She was a ranch cook when she was a young woman. Thank you for nostalgia.

[@spacecorgi3074]

KFC on Wednesday??? God DAMN I'm excited!!!

[@TheWolfsnack]

gotta wait for the e coli to properly set in...

[@crestm1384]

I grew up with a similar potato soup recipe. Dice 6 to 8 potatoes, half onion and 2 celery stalks cover with water, cook until just tender, add think rue/white sauce(1 cup milk, 3 Tbls butter, 3 Tbls flour) continue cooking until potatoes are done to taste. Salt and pepper to taste. This was the way my grandmother made it for my mother and my mother for me. My grandmother was born in 1912.

[@monkeyman2174]

Bags of milk. I have seen it all now.

[@catodiscismo]

here in argentina, bags are a common way to see milk packaged in. btw we call it "sachet", i think it's french.

[@mgtowp.l.7756]

What Country Do You Live In?

[@monkeyman2174]

@@mgtowp.l.7756 USA

[@cinmor7843]

I remember milk in bags back when I was a kid in southern Ontario and I'm a great-grandma now, so it's been a thing for decades.

[@eclipsedbadger]

@@catodiscismo good to find another Argie! (Really can't believe people are so surprised at bagged milk...Wait until they get word of the bag of oil)

[@normahogarth6695]

That is the type of potatoe soup I was raised on. It was just drained boiled potatoes with milk added. The potatoes was salted as they were cooking so to use less. I am 73 years old. My parents were married during the Depression. Daddy had to teach Mom how to cook. That is probably when they started making that kind of soup. I can eat other potatoe soup but I still prefer it. I have over the years added parsley flakes and onion. It it basically potatoe and onion soup now since I use about the same amount. I dice my potatoes up. I use very little water since I use steamer bags for the microwave. When the potatoes and onions are done I put them in a bowl, cover them with milk, add heat until just below boiling. VERY DELICIOUS and does not need anything else.

[@jayfrost6223]

Please do your own take on it, I would love to see you amp this recipe up. Add some green to it, maybe add a bit more flavour.

[@carolyperez8075]

Thanks for this! My grandmother always made this soup with the addition of celery. Served with bread and butter and sometimes cast iron fried pork chops and a simple salad.

[@rexschaal7887]

My family made this but would add fresh noodle dough to the was just snipped and dropped in it

[@DanSoldierGuy]

That's the way my grandmother made it while I was growing up. She would also add smoked cocktail weenies. This was during the 90's, so... Not exactly depression-era lol

[@janhuffman2972]

That was called potato dumpling not soup.

[@AWanderingEye]

Our German grandma would put in green and waxed home canned beans along with the spatzle. Dress with a sprinkle of your favorite vinegar. We liked tarragon.

[@karenray248]

I had something similar but the onions were cooked in butter first time brown, then the potatoes were cooked in water, then water and flour dumplings were dropped in, no milk. It was delish!

[@leal536]

I commented 3 years ago on this video. This is MY comfort soup! I can eat this days in a row! Love it

[@TimBerkheiser]

Cookbook: "Mash vegetables." Glen: "No, I don't want to mash it." Glen 2 min later: "Why is this so thin?????"

[@gptach]

Totally agree

[@kristinatidwell6563]

Add powdered potatoes? Caulifower?

[@Pb-ij4ip]

I made it and when you all say it’s very thin you’re not being hyperbolic at all! I must say, though, it is very tasty and fairly filling...and this recipe ends up making a lot. For mine I added basil and fresh garlic at the start and some leftover jasmine rice at the end. I was pretty happy with the results. I just wish I hadn’t forgotten the bacon. And you are absolutely correct about this soups potential for being built into something magnificent...and it’s so simple! Thanks for sharing!

[@Kristinapedia]

People Should take note. The way things Are going we’ll be eating like this soon.

[@Kristinapedia]

FYI: this is cream of potato.

[@summerrose4286]

i eat like this now

[@davidlarsen7182]

My grandma used to make this. She would peel the potatoes and then cut them into small bite-sized cubes. She would boil the cubes, in just enough water to cover, until the outside of the potatoes would start to fall off and thicken the soup. Mashing was not necessary that way. Then she would add butter, milk, onion, diced celery and grated carrot (salt & pepper). I use heavy cream instead of milk. It’s a quick and easy one pot meal that definitely satisfies. Adding chives, green onions, bacon, and cheddar cheese just makes it even better!

[@austinwilliam8633]

KZbin is trying to prepare me for something 😷

[@pamelatorres2219]

My mom used to make this for our family of 5. First, she would've added salt before boiling the potatoes and onions, secondly, you're right about boiling without a lid, makes it thicker. And last, adding a small amount crushed celery seeds and either croutons (actually old bread chopped up with a bit of spices, garlic and oil, toasted in oven) or a small sprinkle of cheese. We kids loved it, and would eat it for several meals before it ran out.