Depression Potato Soup and Biscuits

My great grandmother lived until 101.  She was an extraordinary woman, healthy right until the end.  She lived through the depression and other times of having very little, making meals out of what could be found in the garden.  Meals had to be simple, using very few ingredients.

She passed on her potato soup recipe to my grandma, who made it for me when I was growing up.  My grandma passed this recipe to my mom, who also made this for me as a kid, serving it with baking powder biscuits.  Now, I have my mom's recipe, and occasionally make potato soup, every time thinking of my mom, grandma and great grandma, each making this soup to feed their families.

You start by peeling some potatoes.  There are no magic numbers for ingredients with this recipe.  It was pretty much always made from memory and never measured.

Chop the peeled potatoes and throw them into a pot.   

Cover the potatoes with water, and cook until tender.

Meanwhile, chop an onion and saute it in butter until translucent.

Once the onion is translucent, dump it into the pot. 

Add some salt and parsley and cook for about half an hour.

Put a bunch of butter into the pot. If you think you added enough, add more.

Then comes the fun part!  Make the dough balls.  Put 1 1/2 cups of flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl.  Add 1 beaten egg, 1 t oil, and about 1/4 cup water (or more if needed) until you have a dough.

 

After about a half an hour of cooking the soup, and stirring occasionally, it should start to get creamier looking.  If not, cook a little longer.  Add more butter - it makes the soup!  Add more salt as needed.

Once you think the soup is about 5 minutes away from being done, take some of the dough onto a fork and dip it into the soup.  Keep doing this until all the dough is gone.  Warning - the dough grows, so take small amounts.

This will create little "dough balls" or dumplings in the soup.

As a kid, these were by far my favourite part.  

I would always have my grandma make me one HUGE one.

Then, for good measure ... add more butter.

This soup is best served with baking powder biscuits, and I have the BEST recipe.

Baking Powder Biscuits

2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup veg. or canola oil
3/4 cup milk

Mix above.  Knead for 30 seconds.  Roll out and cut into rounds (with a small glass).  Put on an ungreased pan and bake at 400 for 12 minutes.  Serve right out of the oven with butter or whatever.

Potato Soup Recipe

Peel and cube some potatoes and put in a pot with water to cover (or a little higher).
Cook until almost done.
Add 1 tsp salt (or more).
Meanwhile, cook 1 chopped onion in butter until translucent, then add to pot.
Cook for another 1/2 hour or so.
Add butter, parsley, salt - LOTS!

To make the dough balls, put 1 1/2 cups flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl.  Add 1 beaten egg, 1 tsp oil, and 1/4 water or more, until you have a dough.  Use a fork to pick up some dough and dip it into the soup in the last few minutes of cooking.

Serve with more butter, because butter makes everything better.

Are there any recipes that have been passed down many generations in your family?