Wisconsin Potato Cheese Soup

Election week. Vermont goes the way Vermont goes, which is its own business, and I have been voting in Hinesburg since 1973, which means I have seen forty-five years of elections and have learned that the things I can affect are generally closer to home than Washington. The sugarhouse door latch needed replacing. The woodpile needed four more cords before December. These are the elections I know how to win.

I am not being cynical. I voted Tuesday morning the way I do every Election Day — first one in when the polls open at seven, because my father voted first thing and his father voted first thing and the habit is in the blood. You show up. You do the thing. That is all it is.

The soup situation has become serious in the best possible way. Helen made clam chowder Wednesday — proper New England chowder. Salt pork rendered down until crisp, onion, potato, canned clams because fresh clams in Vermont require either a trip to the coast or a serious relationship with the Burlington fish store, whole milk. I prefer milk to cream in my chowder. Helen uses cream. We compromise on half-and-half when we are being diplomatic, which is most of the time.

Teddy called Sunday — David lets him use the phone to call his grandparents occasionally. He is eight and phone calls are still slightly formal for him, so the conversation was about twenty words, mostly concerning the Red Sox offseason. He said they needed a good shortstop. I agreed. Helen was delighted to have been called. She told Teddy she was making applesauce and would save him a jar. He said, is it the kind without sugar? Helen said yes. He said, good, Mom's has too much sugar. Helen beamed. She always beams when the grandchildren notice details.

The wood is stacked. The cellar is full. The chowder is good. November is doing exactly what November should do, which is get colder and shorter and honest about the season ahead. I respect that about November. It does not pretend. It arrives and says: winter is coming, here is what we do. And we do it. And it is enough.

Helen’s clam chowder was the centerpiece of the week, but soup weather in Vermont has a way of becoming a sustained argument rather than a single event, and a pot of Wisconsin Potato Cheese Soup is the natural follow-up — the kind of thing you make when the woodpile is stacked and you want something that asks nothing of you except patience and a good sharp cheddar. It has the same honest, deliberate character as November itself: nothing fancy, nothing hidden, just warmth that does exactly what it says it will do.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

4 cups russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 medium potatoes)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
2 cups sharp Wisconsin cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and black pepper to taste
Sliced green onions or chives, for garnish
Extra shredded cheddar, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Simmer the vegetables. In a large pot over medium heat, combine diced potatoes, onion, celery, garlic, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a fork.
Partially mash. Using the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher, gently crush some of the potato pieces against the side of the pot to thicken the base while leaving plenty of chunks. Do not fully puree — texture is part of the character of this soup.
Make the roux. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a pale golden color and smells faintly nutty.
Add the milk. Slowly whisk the whole milk into the roux, a little at a time, until smooth and no lumps remain. Continue whisking over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until the mixture thickens noticeably.
Combine. Pour the thickened milk mixture into the potato pot. Stir in the dry mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Bring the soup back up to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
Melt in the cheese. Remove the pot from heat or reduce to the lowest setting. Add the shredded cheddar in two or three additions, stirring well after each addition until fully melted and smooth. Adding cheese off direct heat prevents it from breaking or becoming grainy.
Season and serve. Taste and adjust salt and black pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with sliced green onions and extra cheddar if desired. Serve with crusty bread or crackers.

Nutrition (per serving)

Wisconsin Potato Cheese Soup — The Kind of Warmth That Carries You Through November