What I Made Last Night...

This was a very hearty soup. I would recommend adding a lot of salt and pepper as well as 3 large potatoes, not 5. Otherwise, the dish gets very starchy.

Potato, Spinach and Artichoke Soup

From Every Day with Rachael Ray
February 2008

4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Ingredients:
5 large baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
Salt
One 9-ounce box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
Two 10-ounce boxes chopped frozen spinach, thawed
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup milk
Pepper
4 sprigs thyme, leaves chopped
One 32-ounce container (4 cups) chicken broth
1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus more to pass around the table
Crusty bread, sliced and toasted

Directions:
1. Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Salt the water, lower the heat and simmer until fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot to dry out.
2. Place the vegetables in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze dry.
3. In a medium pot, melt the butter in the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, 10 minutes. Add the boiled potatoes and milk and mash together. Season with pepper and the thyme, then stir in the chicken broth. Stir in the reserved vegetables and heat through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cheese. Thin the soup with a little water if desired. Pass the crusty bread and extra cheese around the table.