Is soup for you?

We found the recipe below in Darina Allen’s “Irish Traditional Cooking ($35, Kyle Books).”

Potato and Fresh Herb Soup

What you’ll need:

1/2 stick of butter

1 1/4 cups of diced onions

3 2/3 cups of peeled diced potatoes

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs, to include parsley, thyme, lemon balm, chives and marjoram

3 2/3 cups homemade chicken stock

1/2 cup half and half

What you do

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. When it foams, add the onions and potatoes and toss them in the butter until well coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and sweat the stock on gentle heat for 10 minutes. Add the fresh herbs (reserving a little for garnish) and the stock, and cook until the vegetables are soft. Puree the soup in a liquidizer or food processor.Taste and adjust seasoning. Thin with creamy milk to the required consistency. Serve sprinkled with the remaining herbs.

Note: if you do not have fresh herbs, leave them out. Fresh parsley can be used on its own.