Served warm or cold, this thick, creamy soup makes taste buds sing with its vibrant accents of vinegar and sour cream. Sesame-topped egg bread is a delicious partner.

Ingredients

• 8 black peppercorns

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 2 ribs celery, diced

• 1 onion, diced

• ½ tsp salt

• 4 russet potatoes (1 1/2 lb/675 g)

• 2 cups sodium-reduced chicken broth

• 3 tbsp white vinegar

• ⅓ cup sour cream

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions
1 In cheesecloth square, tie peppercorns and bay leaves with string to make spice bag; set aside.

2 In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook celery, onion and salt, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, about 8 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, peel and cube potatoes. Add to pan; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add 3 cups water, broth, vinegar and spice bag; bring to boil.

4 Reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. Discard spice bag.

5 With immersion blender or food mill, puree soup until smooth.

6 Whisk in sour cream and parsley. Heat through over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

To make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 days. Tip: An immersion blender or food mill will give this soup the perfect silky texture. If you don’t have either, pulse soup (do not puree) in batches in a regular blender.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrional information per serving: about 201 cal, 5 g pro, 6 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 33 g carb, 3 g fibre, 8 mg chol, 626 mg sodium. % RDI: 5% calcium, 5% iron, 5% vit A, 23% vit C, 11% folate.

Also, try these:
Spaghetti and meatball soup
Mushroom barley soup with blue cheese croutons
Tomato and fennel soup

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Excerpted from Canadian Living: The International Collection by The Canadian Living Test Kitchen Copyright © 2011 by The Canadian Living Test Kitchen. Excerpted by permission of Transcontinental. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.