Creamy Potato Soup Recipe

If there is one thing I love, it's soup! Ever since my first Culinary class when Chef taught us how to make Pureed White Bean and Leek soup, YUM, I have been a bit obsessed! Seriously, I used to make that soup at least once a month. Then I started creating other soups. My new soup obsession, Potato soup!

Really there is nothing better than a good bowl of warm soup, and even better a bowl full of my favorite vegetable the potato and let's not forget my non-vegetable favorite.....BACON!! One can never have enough bacon, seriously it should be its own food group! :) Drool!

I make different versions of this soup, but essentially they are all the same thing. In one version I puree the soup, in another I leave the potatoes chunky, in another I use fresh bacon and in one I use bacon crumbles. It is all a matter of preference and mood. You could also substitute milk for the chicken broth for an even creamier soup. If you do this you can also eliminate the cream. I use milk sometimes, but only when I know I will have enough. We go through a lot of milk with 7 people in the house! :)

Creamy Potato Soup

Yield: app. 8 bowls

4 Tbsp. Butter
1/2 Large Onion, diced small
4 Slices of Cooked Bacon Cut into pieces or 1/2 Cup Bacon Crumbles (Fresh bacon bits)
1 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
2 tsp. Kosher Salt
6 Medium Potatoes Cubed and Peeled (bite size pieces, peeling optional)
3 Tbsp. Flour
3 Cups of Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Cup of Heavy Cream
1/2 tsp. Fresh Cracked Pepper

In large stock pot, cook bacon until crispy, remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan melt butter over medium heat and then add the onion. Cooking everything in the same pot really gives the bacon a chance to flavor everything. Saute onion until tender, then add garlic and potatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes, allowing the potatoes to cook slightly. Add flour and stir thoroughly and cook for an additional minute allowing the flour to cook out. Add 2 cups of chicken stock and stir. Allow the soup to thicken for a couple of minutes, if the soup is too thick add additional broth. Remember you will be adding cream at the end. But that will also help to thicken it. Once the soup is to desired consistency, add salt and pepper to taste. Cook soup until potatoes are to desired tenderness, before turning off add the heavy cream and bacon pieces and cook until cream comes up to temperature. At this point you could puree the soup with a food processor, blender or a hand blender if you so choose. If you are not going to blend it, then serve it up!! Top with bacon, cheese, chives and sour cream for that loaded baked potato taste!! 

There you have it, one of my favorites!! I think I am going to make it for dinner tomorrow!!

SO, do you have a favorite soup? Would love to hear from you! 

"Devouring worlds, one book and recipe at a time."