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

[@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 🤤

[@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).

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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!

[@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!

[@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😊

[@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

[@sneakertoes1]

This is reminding me of the Stone Soup story.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@Moonlitverse]

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

[@WinterWitch01]

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]

@@WinterWitch01 Do you add carrots and celery with onions or later?

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@tawniaho5047]

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

[@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

[@HueyBob24]

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

[@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!

[@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

[@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.

[@morgancalvi6675]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.....

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!!

[@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

[@tiffanyjohnson8271]

My great grandma grew up during the depression Era and I miss the food she'd cook. So simple but very delicious. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@peekopakanko7053]

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

[@christinesalomon4903]

I just made this, omg, DELICIOUS! I added some minced garlic, sautéed the onions, made a little roux, and ultimately used a whole stick of butter. Also used lactaid milk, full fat. And right now at Trader Joe's they are selling a sea salt grinder with pink peppercorn and rosemary. That's all I used for seasoning. Yummmmm!

[@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.

[@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.

[@jennblosil]

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

[@coolstuffjokesandmor]

Yep.

[@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!

[@hawkeye454]

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

[@papa.and.mimis.country.life.58]

I love how practical, appreciative of simple foods, and respectful of history you both are.

[@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.

[@rosecrawford7012]

Thank you!! I grew up eating that exact soup! I thought the recipe was gone with my mom! I couldn't remember how she made it and now I can remember her with soup sometimes!

[@sarahstrong7174]

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

[@MJ-ul7cf]

Like what?

[@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.

[@YsabelGamache]

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

[@bevnichols5487]

This is how my mother taught me to make potato soup but without the butter. It has always been my go to soup when recovering from illness. The smell is wonderful!

[@Siteure]

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

[@bryanreeme8584]

A favorite of mine from Mom👍.. she added corn & bacon; when I worked on boats I'd add fish stock (& maybe other seafood).. best thing ever!!!

[@BrieyaSilverweb]

My grandmother made this soup constantly while I was growing up. In Europe, we had access to celery root. Last longer in the pantry. She said the potatoes and onions were the base, the rest was what you had on hand if you wanted it in. She made a number of saved leftovers as part of this soup. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[@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

[@CinnamonStitches]

My Grandpa used to make a potato soup with water, potatoes, onions, lots of salt and pepper, and used corn starch to thicken the soup.

[@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.

[@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!

[@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!

[@emmmyhappy77times43]

My great-grandmother used to make this for me. It was delicious. She always used cream and not milk. It’s still one of my favorite things to eat. She would serve it with cornbread and icy cold milk for me. I’m really glad you posted this.

[@spacecorgi3074]

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

[@TheWolfsnack]

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

[@johnpowell1841]

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

[@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.

[@leal536]

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

[@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..

[@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.

[@vaclavzeleny5717]

I like how you are positive. :)

[@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!

[@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.

[@2HRTS1LOVE]

My grandparents lived thru the Depression, potato soup has been "sick soup" for me all my life. It's something you can usually keep down on a queasy stomach, though my mom usually used onion powder instead of actual onions. Add some extra pepper and it tastes good when you're stuffy. It's just good comfort food. I've added a can of cream of chicken for a little more flavor and thickness. Good stuff!

[@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.

[@lindabarling7719]

I love the depression recipes you do. My grandparents had their own farm. Lots of potatoes, and green string beans. My grandmother told me many stories from that time. I'm greatful that you are sharing the recipes. Thank you, & God Bless♥️♥️♥️

[@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)

[@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.

[@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

[@oneeyeddog3045]

This is the way my dad makes potato soup. Love it! He is 83 btw

[@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

[@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.

[@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!

[@g.cosper]

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.

[@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?

[@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.

[@austinwilliam8633]

KZbin is trying to prepare me for something 😷

[@marlaleemouse]

My mother in law lived on her aunt's farm during the depression. She made potato soup just the way you made it only she added spätzle to it and it was so delicious!

[@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

[@Carnivorish]

My parents grew up during the depression and my mom made this type of potato soup my whole life until she passed. It’s very simple but delicious.

[@shnookz]

When he said, “Mrs. M.G. Kelly”.. 🤨 -Anyone else think of Machine Gun Kelly? 😂

[@mjrussell414]

Shnookiebookiez - Kelly Stratton-Cox No...

[@shnookz]

Based off the few likes, I’m assuming a few others must have thought it too! 🤣

[@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.

[@annec781]

My mom used to make a very similar recipe for my father. He loved it. They grew up in northern Minnesota during the Depression.

[@cindirichmond9477]

My mom made this soup for me as a child & I loved it & I made it for my kids & my grandkids they all love it 😍😍😍