Creamy Potato & Dill Soup ('Koperkowa')

📝 Ingredients

• 1/2 medium onion (roughly 2.5 oz, 70 g), white or yellow
• 2 medium carrots (roughly 5 oz, 140 g)
• 14 oz (400 g) young potatoes, can replace with regular potatoes
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 32-35 oz (0.9 -1 litre) stock, vegetable or meat-based, ideally homemade
• 7-9 oz (200-250 g) heavy cream, 30% or 36% fat
• 1 large bunch (3.5 oz, 100 g) fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground or grated
• Salt, for seasoning
• Black pepper, freshly ground, for seasoning
• 1/3 cup hard cheese (e.g. Polish Bursztyn, Italian Parmesan), grated into flakes

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Peel the vegetables.
2. 2Dice the onion finely. Dice the potatoes into...: Dice the onion finely. Dice the potatoes into small cubes. Grate the carrot using the largest holes of the box grater. Set aside.
3. 3Place the cooking pot on the stove. If...: Place the cooking pot on the stove. If you don’t own one with a thicker base, it would be better to use a frying pan / skillet for this task. Set the heat on medium-low.
4. 4Melt a tablespoon of butter, add diced onion...: Melt a tablespoon of butter, add diced onion and a tiny pinch of salt. Fry, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns translucent.
5. 5Add in diced potatoes and grated carrot. Stir...: Add in diced potatoes and grated carrot. Stir and fry together for an additional 2-3 minutes.
6. 6Pour the stock in, bring to a near-boil...: Pour the stock in, bring to a near-boil and reduce the heat. Partially cover the pot with a lid and cook for 20 minutes, until the potatoes soften.
7. 7Pour one cup of hot soup into a...: Pour one cup of hot soup into a bowl, add in the cream. Blend together with a fork or a spoon, and return to the cooking pot.
8. 8Chop fresh dill finely, leave some of it...: Chop fresh dill finely, leave some of it on the side for garnish.
9. 9Add chopped dill into the soup, stir it...: Add chopped dill into the soup, stir it in. Season with a tablespoon of lemon juice, half a teaspoon of nutmeg and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for another 3-4 minutes on a medium-low, to let the flavours combine.
10. 10Have a taste. Does it need more acidity,...: Have a taste. Does it need more acidity, more seasoning? If so, add some more.
11. 11Serve hot, garnishing with some chopped dill and...: Serve hot, garnishing with some chopped dill and cheese flakes (optional)