Recipe Box - Mother's Potato Soup

Nobody makes potato soup like my mom.

I don't know how she does it!  It's not like she uses any exotic ingredients or fancy techniques; but for some reason, I like her potato soup better than any other I've ever tasted.  Maybe the secret is in the love that oozes out of her time-worn hands into the soup as she chops potatoes and adds salt and tastes it to make sure it's just right.  Yes, I bet that's it.  It's the love.

I wanted to learn how to cook it so that, when I'm craving it, I'll be able to make it myself and I won't have to call her up and say, "Could you please make some potato soup for our supper?"  When I asked her for the recipe, this is what she told me:

Clean some potatoes, leaving the skin on.  (When I asked her how many potatoes to use, she said practically, "It depends on how big your pan is!")  Dice them into bite-size pieces.  Put them in a pan with water just barely covering them.  Chop an onion, if you have one; or add dried onion, if you prefer.  Add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of salt and as much black pepper as you like.   Cook the potatoes until fork-tender, about 20 minutes or so.  Add milk until you get as much soup as you want.  You can also toss in some parsley, if you like it (we do!)--fresh or dried, either will do.  Then add a nice chunk of butter and let that melt.  (I'm not sure how much "a nice chunk" is, but use your best judgment, and I'm sure it will be fine!)  Next comes the most important step:  taste it to see if it has enough salt in it.

"That's it?" I ask.

"That's it!" she replies with a big smile on her face.

I'm doubtful that my attempts will ever turn out quite like hers, but I'll give it a whirl.  After all, cold winter evenings need a pot of soup to warm them; and this simple but delicious soup will do the trick nicely.  And if all else fails, I'll just call her up and ask sweetly, "Could you please make some potato soup for our supper?"  :)