Bacon Potato Soup

For Christmas, my Mom gave me an immersion blender. Something I have been wanting for a very long time. So I wanted to cook something that would require the blender. I have made quite a few potato soup recipes over the last couple of years but this time I decided to combine my favorite aspects of each. The result was creamy, savory and delicious! I decided to write down my recipe before I forget.

7-8 average sized russet potatoes, diced

1 large or 2 small onions, diced

6 stalks of celery, diced

5 carrots, diced

6 slices of bacon, chopped

4 cups of chicken stock

flour

olive oil

heavy cream(optional)

cheddar(optional)

 

In a Dutch oven warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat and add the bacon. Cook until slightly crispy on the edges but not crispy all the way through. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel covered plate. Add onion, celery and carrots to the oil and cook while you are peeling and chopping the potatoes. I cooked them on the oil for about 5 minutes, until the onions were translucent and slightly browned and the carrots were beginning to soften. Add potatoes and generously salt them. Add black pepper if you are a fan of pepper. We are so we added quite a bit. Stir to combine and cover with chicken stock. If your stock doesn’t cover the top of the veggies, add a bit of water. In a cup, combine about a tablespoon of flour with half a cup or more of water and whisk until it is smooth and combined. Add to soup pot to thicken it. Bring to a boil and cook until all the vegetables are soft. Once everything is well cooked, remove about 2 cups of vegetables(minus broth) and then, using an immersion blender, blend what is in the pot to a creamy state. I didn’t cream it all completely but just to the texture I was looking for. Then add back the whole veggies and bacon. Add 1/2 – 3/4 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup cheddar. Warm the soup until the cheese is melted and serve.

My husband liked this soup so much, he got up from the table multiple times to kiss me and tell me it was delicious. It would be amazing in a bread bowl.