Potato Soup

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1
  Pour cold water over the mushrooms and let them sit on the kitchen counter for at least an hour. If you soak them in water the day before and store them in the fridge, even better.
• 2
  Peel the onion, vegetables, and potatoes. Chop the onion finely, and cut the root vegetables and potatoes into centimeter-sized cubes. Retrieve the soaked mushrooms from the water and chop them coarsely. Carefully pour the mushroom water into a measuring cup to avoid any sediment at the bottom, and top it up with cold water to make 1 liter.
• 3
  Melt half of the butter in a pot and add the root vegetables and caraway seeds. Season with a large pinch of salt and let them sauté over medium heat for at least 5 minutes. The vegetables should not brown completely, but a slight change in color is desirable.
• 4
  Add the onion to the sautéed vegetables and continue for 1-2 minutes until it softens and loses its sharpness. Finally, add a quarter of the potatoes. Continue stirring for another minute or two until the soup base starts to look like it might burn (a brown-golden coating at the bottom of the pot is not a problem).
• 5
  Pour the prepared liter of water with mushroom water over the soup base. Add the mushrooms, the rest of the potatoes, and the remaining salt, and let it come to a gentle boil.
• 6
  In the meantime, prepare the roux in a separate saucepan. Melt the remaining butter, and once it foams, add the flour. Stir with a whisk to prevent burning, and cook a light brown roux – this may take several minutes until the flour reluctantly changes color. It's ideal not to rush and stay in the medium heat range of the stove.
• 7
  Once the soup starts boiling, slowly pour in the roux while stirring the soup. Let the thickened soup cook for 15 minutes until the potatoes and vegetables soften and the roux is cooked through. Stir occasionally from the bottom, as thickened dishes tend to stick and burn.
• 8
  In the last minute of cooking, add marjoram rubbed between your palms and crushed or pressed garlic. Season the soup again with salt, as the potatoes absorb a lot during cooking, sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley, and serve.