This soup is the creamy, hearty solution to leftover french fries that don’t reheat well, and it can use up what’s left in cartons of cream or broth, too.

To create even more body, add a few dabs of cream cheese or handfuls of your favorite grated cheese; to add tang, stir in a little yogurt or sour cream.

Tested size: 2-3 servings.

NGREDIENTS

• About 3 1/2 portions of cooked french fries eg McDonalds
• 3 1/2 cups store-bought or homemade no-salt-added vegetable broth (see related recipe; may substitute no-salt-added chicken broth), or more as needed
• Splash white wine (may substitute malt vinegar)
• Splash double cream or milk (optional)
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons ketchup
• A few dashes malt vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Put the french fries in a medium saucepan and pour the broth over them. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low; cook, uncovered, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the french fries are quite soft. Remove from the heat.

Use an immersion (stick) blender to puree until smooth. Stir in the wine and the cream or milk, if using. Taste, adding salt and pepper as needed (the amounts depend on how the fries were originally seasoned). If the consistency is too thick, stir in more broth.

If desired, stir together the ketchup (to taste) and enough malt vinegar to thin it out to the desired consistency.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Dot or drizzle each portion with the thinned ketchup; serve hot.

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