This simple and satisfying potato soup is perfect for chilly fall days!

a thick potato soup — Photo Credit: The 1800’s Housewife.

Dear Friends,

Last night’s Harvest Moon was really something wasn’t it? Going out to shut the ducks and chickens into the barn, the sight of it stopped me in my tracks, and I couldn’t help but just stand there soaking it up.

Something about getting past the September full moon always makes it feel like we’ve truly crossed over into that steady slouch toward winter. Nights have a biting chill, extra blankets and sweaters are coming out of the closets, and soup suddenly sounds like just the thing.

If you’re feeling all the cozy fall vibes as well, this potato soup is a great one to try. It’s simple and easy, perfect for sitting down to after a long day.

~ Anna

POTATO SOUP

“Potato soup is suitable for a cold day. Make it in the following manner: Get as many beef or ham bones as you can, and smash them into fragments. Add a little bit of lean ham to give flavor. Boil the bone and ham for two hours and a half at least. The bone of a roast beef is excellent. Strain off the liquor carefully, empty the bones and debris of the ham, restore the liquor to the pot, and place again on the fire. Having selected, washed, and pared some nice potatoes, cut them into small pieces, and boil them in the stock til they melt away. An onion or two may also be boiled among the bones to help the flavor. I do not like thick potato soup, and I usually strain it through a hair sieve, after doing so placing it again on the fire, seasoning it with pepper and salt to taste. A stick of celery boiled with the bones is an improvement. Make only the quantity required for the day, as potato soup is best when it is newly made.
The Snow White Cook Book, 1892

Here’s a photo of the recipe as it appears in the cookbook:

*From The Snow White Cook Book, 1892. Page 29.* Photo Credit: The 1800s Housewife.

A FEW COOKING NOTES:

How many potatoes to use?

I consulted a few other nineteenth century potato soup recipes, and ended up deciding to use about a pound of potato per quart of soup. So for my 2 quarts of soup stock, I used four large potatoes, which was just shy of two pounds. This made a good hearty soup, which felt just about right.

potatoes on a cutting board — Photo Credit: The 1800’s Housewife.

What is a hair sieve?

This was a type of sieve that had a bottom made of “hair cloth”, usually made from horsehair. From the photos I’ve seen, this was a relatively fine mesh. You can see a nice one here, on a site called WorthPoint.

Not having a hair sieve, I used my circa 1930’s Foley food mill, which surely gave me a finished soup that was a bit less finely-sieved than horsehair mesh, but was still smooth and lovely.

an 1800s potato soup — Photo Credit: The 1800’s Housewife.

The flavor on this is mild, but well-rounded and satisfying. It feels like good, wholesome, harvest-time fare…perfect after a long day of stacking wood and canning applesauce. Hope you enjoy!

As always, feel free to send me an email with any particular recipe requests!

Until next time, ~ Anna

📖 Recipe

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Ingredients

1 lb beef or ham bones
4 ounces ham
1 onion
1 stalk of celery
4 large potatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Potato soup is suitable for a cold day. Make it in the following manner:
Get as many beef or ham bones as you can, and smash them into fragments. Add a little bit of lean ham to give flavor. Boil the bone and ham for two hours and a half at least. The bone of a roast beef is excellent.
Strain off the liquor carefully, empty the bones and debris of the ham, restore the liquor to the pot, and place again on the fire.
Having selected, washed, and pared some nice potatoes, cut them into small pieces, and boil them in the stock til they melt away. An onion or two may also be boiled among the bones to help the flavor.
I do not like thick potato soup, and I usually strain it through a hair sieve, after doing so placing it again on the fire, seasoning it with pepper and salt to taste.
A stick of celery boiled with the bones is an improvement. Make only the quantity required for the day, as potato soup is best when it is newly made.

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This post was originally published in the 1800’s Housewife daily newsletter, on September 18, 2024. Not on the mailing list? You can join here to receive the daily recipe and cooking notes straight to your email.