Buttermilk Potato Soup

One of my best friends, Stacy, gave me Poole's cookbook for my birthday.  The recipes are from the acclaimed chef Ashley Christensen and her bold & revelatory reinvention of Southern food, as told through the recipes and stories from her iconic and beloved restaurant, Poole's Diner.

I altered this recipe a bit based on ingredients I already had on hand. The soup was absolutely delicious and one of the best I've made in a while. Will be making it again many times for sure.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients: 

• 2 lbs. Baby Creamers (yellow & red) Potatoes (I used the ones from Costco), cut into 1/4" thick rounds
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 1 red onion, diced
• A large sachet (in cheesecloth add 1 bay leaf, 2 teaspoons black peppercorn, 2 garlic cloves, 8 springs of thyme - bundle up and tie with twine) 
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 4 cups water
• kosher salt
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 12 ounces bacon slices, cooked & chopped (optional)
• 2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature 
• 3 green onions, sliced 
• black pepper 

1. Place potato slices in a colander and set in a large bowl in the sink.  Run the potatoes under a small, steady stream of water for 15 minutes, changing the water in the bowl every 5 minutes to remove any starch that's settled to the bottom. Drain the potatoes and set aside.

2. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the celery, onions and sachet. Stir to coat evenly with the oil then cover and cook for 4 minutes, until vegetables are softened.  Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and the wine, increase the heat to high and reduce until wine is almost evaporated.

3. Stir in the potatoes, coating them in the onion mixture.  Add broth, water and 2 teaspoons kosher salt and bring to boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are starting to fall apart.

4. Remove the soup from the heat and discard the sachet.  Using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. Whisk in buttermilk and season with salt to taste. 

5. Serve with chopped bacon, green onion slices and freshly cracked black pepper.