German Potato Soup

Step 1

Rinse the potatoes under cold water, then cut each one in half lengthwise and place cut-side down on a cutting board. Slice straight down through each half into 1/2-inch-thick pieces, working from one end to the other so you get flat slices, not chunks.

Step 2

Slice the onion in half from root to tip, then place each flat-side down on the cutting board and slice crosswise into thin half-moon pieces about 1/4 inch thick.

Step 3

Place the pot over medium heat and add the 2 tablespoons of butter, tilting the pot to coat the bottom evenly. When the butter stops foaming and looks light golden, about 1 minute, you are ready to add onions.

Step 4

Pour the sliced onions into the pot and stir with a wooden spoon once every 30 seconds, scraping the bottom, until the onions turn soft and translucent with no hard pieces left, about 5 minutes.

Step 5

Pour in the 6 cups of vegetable broth and add all the sliced potatoes, stirring once to make sure everything is wet. Increase the heat to medium-high and cover the pot with a lid.

Step 6

Wait until you hear a strong, steady boil coming from under the lid and see steam escaping from the sides, about 8 minutes, then remove the lid.

Step 7

Uncover and reduce the heat to medium. Stir the soup once every 45 seconds with a wooden spoon until all the potato pieces are very soft and fall apart when pressed gently against the side of the pot, about 12 minutes.

Step 8

Pour in the 0.5 cup of heavy cream and stir for 30 seconds until the soup turns pale and uniform in color, then taste with a clean spoon.

Step 9

Add salt and pepper, stir, taste again, and keep adding salt and pepper in small pinches until the soup tastes salty and flavorful — like seasoned chicken broth.

Step 10

Ladle the soup into bowls, dividing the potatoes and broth evenly among four servings.