Spicy Swiss Potato Soup

Use leftover mashed potatoes for this spicy Swiss potato soup. Cayenne pepper supplies the heat and scallions add the right amount of onion flavor.

Adapted from Jimmy Bradley | The Red Cat Cookbook | Clarkson Potter, 2006

This spicy Swiss potato soup is spiced up with cayenne pepper, ladled over grated Gruyère, and topped with sliced scallions, giving a full complement of flavors and textures that is fun to eat and delicious.–Jimmy Bradley and Andrew Friedman

Spicy Swiss Potato Soup

This spicy Swiss potato soup is spiced up with cayenne pepper, ladled over grated Gruyère, and topped with sliced scallions, giving a full complement of flavors and textures that is fun to eat and delicious.

Jimmy Bradley

Prep 25 mins

Cook 25 mins

Total 50 mins

Mains

French

4 servings

752 kcal

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients 

USMetric

• ▢ 3 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 small shallot finely chopped
• ▢ 1 1/2 pounds (about 2 medium) Idaho potatoes peeled and quartered
• ▢ 3 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups milk
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• ▢ Salt
• ▢ Freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ Cayenne pepper
• ▢ 3/4 cup (about 6 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese
• ▢ 2 teaspoons hot paprika
• ▢ 2 scallions white and green parts, finely sliced

Directions

 

• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and saute until softened but not browned, approximately 3 minutes.
• Add the potatoes, chicken stock, and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat so the liquid simmers. Cook until the potatoes are soft to a knife-tip, approximately 15 minutes. Pour the contents of the pot into a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Set the cooking liquid aside.
• Pass the potatoes through a food mill or ricer. Return the potatoes to the pot over medium heat and add the milk, cream, and 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid. Whisk gently to incorporate, but do not overwork the potatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Finish by whisking in the remaining tablespoon butter.
• To serve, put some shredded Gruyère in the bottom of each of 4 bowls, and ladle in the hot soup. Garnish with a dusting of paprika and the scallions.

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Notes

Spicy Swiss Potato Soup Variation

If you have leftover mashed potatoes, this is a great way to use them; you’ll need about 2 cups. Start the recipe after the food-mill step, adding the potatoes to a pot, leaving out half of the cream and milk, and substituting chicken stock for the cooking liquid.

Show Nutrition

Serving: 1portionCalories: 752kcal (38%)Carbohydrates: 41g (14%)Protein: 21g (42%)Fat: 58g (89%)Saturated Fat: 36g (225%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 196mg (65%)Sodium: 1005mg (44%)Potassium: 1156mg (33%)Fiber: 3g (13%)Sugar: 7g (8%)Vitamin A: 2750IU (55%)Vitamin C: 24mg (29%)Calcium: 533mg (53%)Iron: 3mg (17%)

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

Joan Osborne

This potato soup has a wonderful flavor from the Swiss and a nice bit of spiciness from the paprika and cayenne. Perfect on a cold winter night.

Originally published December 13, 2006

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