Potato soup, but with a different savory profile than you're used to. Bacon and cheddar cheese are a match made in heaven, but at some point I find myself wishing for something new. I absolutely love the unique flavors of berbere spice. It's a complex blend with a certain je ne sais quoi, and it also adds a wonderful, low-level heat. I originally wanted this soup to have a bold berbere flavor. But I quickly realized that you can't turn up the berbere taste without also turning up the spiciness. So for my kids' sake, I left it at a mild level.
Notes
- What is berbere spice?: Berbere is a warm, complex blend of spices that's typically found in Ethiopian cooking. It's difficult to approximate in an average kitchen because it often contains 10 or more spices. It's a little bit spicy in large amounts, and makes for a wonderful departure from the rut of Italian or Mexican seasonings that we use so frequently in everyday cooking.
- Mix up the protein: If you don't have access to ham hocks, you can substitute 1 pound of cooked and chopped bacon as well. Chicken also works well--just add 1-2 pounds of shredded, fully cooked chicken instead of the ham hocks. Just keep in mind that the smoke from the ham hocks does lend some flavor, so you will end up with a different tasting soup.
- More kick!: Berbere is a fun spice blend because it feels a little like you can finely dial in the spice level. It isn't spicy in the way that cayenne is. It's more like the kind of spice you might find with a chili powder. Detectable, but smooth. If you want a somewhat spicy potato soup with a bolder flavor, you can increase the berbere spice to 1 tablespoon and see how you like it.
- Crockpot Style: Just throw the potatoes, onion, spices, ham hocks, and broth into the slow cooker for 4 hours on high, or 6 hours on low. Then pull the meat off the hocks, and make the roux. You'll finish it the same as you would a pot on the stove.
Storage
You can refrigerate this soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can also freeze this soup, but be aware that it may separate when you reheat it.
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Grace Says:
If you don't have berbere spice on hand, this is excellent with a little chipotle seasoning as well.
📖 Recipe
Berbere Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 3 lbs yellow potatoes
- 2 lbs smoked ham hocks
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 4 T butter or bacon grease (for the roux)
- 2 T butter or bacon grease (to cook the onions)
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 ½ t salt
- ½ t black pepper
- ½ T berbere spice
- ⅓ cup flour
- 1 ½ cup milk
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes if you'd like, and then cut them into 1" pieces.
- Put the 2T of butter or bacon grease to a large pot or dutch oven. Heat on medium heat to melt it, and then add the onion. Cook the onion in the butter until tender.
- Add the potatoes, ham hocks, garlic, broth, salt, pepper, and berbere to the pot. Bring to a boil, and then lower to a simmer. Cover and allow to simmer on low for 3-4 hours.
- Once the potatoes are cooked through, remove the ham hocks and place them on a plate or baking sheet. Remove the meat from the bones and set aside. You may have to wait for them to cool slightly before you can handle them. You can mash the potatoes in the meantime (see next step).
- With a potato masher, mash all the potatoes until they are broken up and the soup is creamy. It's ok to leave some chunks of potato if you'd like. Then add the meat back into the soup and cover while you make the roux.
- In a pan, melt the 4T of bacon grease or butter over medium heat. Once melted and simmering, add in the flour and whisk to combine into a paste. Then add the milk slowly, a few drizzles at a time, whisking in between each addition until the milk is completely incorporated. Once the roux has absorbed all of the milk, add it into the simmering soup and whisk well.
- Add the sour cream and optional cheddar cheese in last, stirring to combine. Then serve.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!