The Cooking Chronicles: Smoky Roasted-Potato Chowder

I've been itching to make soup from scratch, in particular one that would make use of the immersion blender my Mum unearthed. So when the March 2007 issue of Chatelaine came with a gorgeous-looking Smoky Roasted-Potato Chowder on the cover, I knew exactly what would be on the menu.

The most time-consuming aspect of the recipe was allowing the vegetables to roast in the oven, but it was a hands-off process, so I shouldn't complain. The stewing process with chicken broth and water was fairly straightforward as well. When it came time to blend the concoction, however, perhaps a food processor (as listed in the recipe) would have made a better equipment choice, as the red onions put up quite a fight against the tiny fitted blade of my hand blender.

In the end, I was rather disappointed with the dish. Though filling due to the starch content provided by the potatoes, the soup lacked the depth of flavor I was hoping for. Spices and herbs are not my forte, so I'm at a loss as to possible substitutions, except to suggest the addition of red pepper flakes to the vegetable mixture for some heat.

But not to worry, I won't let this experiment discourage future soup creations!

Smoky Roasted-Potato Chowder