in the blender to get a thick and creamy soup, then put back in the pot to keep warm

Remove the potato strings by draining them through a colander or a slotted spoon.
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Grind the potato strings up,
○ run them through a blender on puree or food processor.

○ Use an electric hand mixer

○ use a hand held potato masher as used for mashed potatoes.

Then return the mashed/pureed potato mixture to your pot of broth for your potato soup.

You could add sausage or Kielbasa to make the soup more hearty.

Sounds like such a nice comfort soup for the approaching colder weather.

how long have they cooked? sauteed in what? bacon grease for better flavor.

after I posted. The potatoes shreds are more tender, but still visible. I sauteed the onions in some olive oil and butter. I like making potao soup and frying the onions until they are brown and crispy, then mixing them and the oil into the soup pot. Today, I just let the onions cook until they were soft.
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It is unexpected that the potatoes didn't break down.

you would think they would break down fast. cheesy potato soup sounds good, even though out here in AZ I don't think summer is ever going to end.