This is the time of year that brings chillier, shorter days. The perfect opportunity to make a comfort dish that’ll warm you up from the inside out! Packed with tender chunks of ham, creamy potatoes, buttery sautéed vegetables, and a medley of toppings, this “Baked” & Loaded Ham & Potato Soup will bring a flavorful explosion that won’t disappoint!
**Note: Part of the beauty of making cannabis edibles is that you can infuse and medicate in endless ways. For example, I used cannabis-infused Ghee (clarified butter) by River Valley Relief to medicate this dish (you may be able to find it in our online ordering menu, if in stock.) Otherwise, you could infuse the milk or heavy cream, the same way I did in this Shamrock Shake recipe. And of course, you can utilize your own canna-butter! Keep in mind the benefit of using a dosage calculator for your infusions and medicated dishes, as knowing each serving’ dosage will help you remain educated, responsible, and confident in your cannabis cooking ventures!
Step 1: Cook the Bacon
Start by cooking your cut bacon pieces in a large pot or Dutch oven, over medium heat, until cooked crisp. When your bacon is cooked to crispy perfection, remove it and set aside to cool, leaving the bacon grease in your pot. (It’s very important to leave the bacon grease, as it not only keeps your ingredients in the next step from sticking to your pot, but bacon grease also pumps up the flavor, adding beautifully savory notes to your dishes.)
Step 3: Add Flour to Thicken
Once your onions, carrots, and celery are translucent, and garlic fragrant, slowly sprinkle in your flour. Stir the flour into your sautéed veggies until well incorporated. Adding flour to your veggies helps to make a thick and robust base for all the following ingredients and steps to build off of. This is a wonderful foundation for a thick, rich, and hearty soup.
Step 4: Add Potatoes, Broth, Milk and Heavy Cream
Now time to add the bulk of your soup! Throw in your diced potatoes, chicken broth, milk, and heavy cream, mixing well. Also mix in salt and pepper, chili powder, and any other spices you would like to incorporate. (I’d like to add that not one batch of my soup tastes exactly like another because I tend to measure my garlic and spices with love, aka until my German ancestors give their nod of approval 😉) Speaking of measuring with love, I did find some sweet peas in my freezer during this step, so I threw a few small handfuls of those in there too!
Bring your pot to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork-tender. This takes approximately 10-12 minutes. Then reduce heat to a simmer. This is usually the time that I prep the next step -bringing out a glass bowl and immersion blender/hand mixer- or, do some dishes so I can relax after dining. (Honestly the best cooking tip I’ve ever learned was to do dishes while cooking! It cuts clean-up time down to nothing, leaving more time for family and other activities.)
**Note: I’ve mentioned in the past why we use metal, silicone, or glass utensils and supplies, but to reiterate, it is because porous and absorbent materials like plastic and wood allow loss of THC during the cooking and serving process.
Step 6: Return to Pot, Add Final Ingredients
Return the puréed soup to your large pot. Add in diced ham, sour cream, some of the bacon if you so desire, some shredded cheddar, and a pinch of nutmeg, and stir until evenly incorporated. Once all of your ingredients are incorporated and heated through, it’s time to serve! I will almost always top my potato soup with extra shredded cheddar, bacon, chives, and a dollop of cour cream topped lastly with freshly cracked pepper. Voilà!
Enjoy!!
Cooking with Cannabis-Infused Ingredients
A good starting point for ingesting cannabis edibles is to limit yourself to <5mg THC ; even less if you are new to THC-infused food. They can be stronger and more intense, differing drastically from smoking. For one, the effects can take anywhere from a half hour to 3 hours to fully metabolize, depending on an individual’s unique body and metabolic rate. In addition, because the THC is digested through your liver and can more readily cross the body’s blood-brain barrier, the high can be stronger and last longer. With that said, your edible’s potency depends on many factors; how it was prepared, the potency of your starting product, and considering the strain or concentrate’s cannabinoid and terpene concentrations. To test the potency and effect of your finished product, try a smaller amount (<5mg) and see how that dose affects you after 2-3 hours. Titrate your dose as desired, and you can then use this personalized “standard” dose as a baseline for your recipes.
**Check out our dosage calculator for help in calculating your edible’s dosage @:
https://www.plant-family.com/thc-dosage-calculator/ **
Happy Cooking!
