Creamy, cheesy, perfectly potato-y soup, rich in flavor and simple as can be, this is the soul-warming pot of soup you need today!

I love, love, love a good bowl of soup. To me, there is nothing quite so satisfying as a bowl of soup made from scratch. I love that it makes a whole pot of goodness that can feed a crowd or be the perfect weeknight family comfort food. You can make this goodness for guests and they are guaranteed to love it and ask for the recipe!

Now this is good enough, but for absolute meal perfection, try pairing it with THE Cheese Bread or  how about fresh and Soft Homemade White Bread with some Crock Pot Apple Butter?

Also begin peeling and cubing about 12 medium sized potatoes.

Remove the beautiful bacon from the pot and set it aside on paper towels to get the excess grease off. Drain much of the bacon grease leaving 1/4 c. grease still in the pot.

Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and turn the stove to low and let it simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender.

About a half hour before I serve the soup, I begin the next steps to finish it.
In separate pan, melt 4 T. butter over medium heat.

Whisk in 1/2 cup flour. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

I use my immersion blender just a teensy bit to mush up a few of the potatoes to thicken the soup. You don’t need to do this. And, if you blend too much, you lose the chunky potato factor. So, find the balance that makes you happy, and do that.

Heat until thickened up and then add in the broken-up bacon, reserving some for garnish. Add salt and pepper to taste — I use about 1 tsp. each of salt and pepper to start and then taste until it’s right.  Garnish with freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese if you’d like.
This soup is fantastic the first day, and somehow even better the second day after it has thickened further.

So good and so easy.  So, c’mon.  Go make a pot of soup!

Not Your Average Potato Soup

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

Perfect Potato Soup made from scratch, flavored with bacon and cheese -- this is the hearty, creamy comfort food you've been craving!

Alison: That Which Nourishes

Recipe type: Soup, Meal, Dinner

Cuisine: American

Serves: 8 servings

Grocery List

• 1 lb bacon
• 2 stalks celery (plus leaves)
• 1 medium onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 8-12 medium potatoes
• 6 cups chicken stock or broth (may need more)
• 4 T. butter
• ½ c. flour
• 1 c. whole milk or heavy cream
• salt and pepper

Here's how...

1. Fry the bacon in a soup pot until crispy. Remove from the heat and drain leaving about ¼ c. grease in the pot.
2. Chop celery, onion, and garlic. Peel and cube about 12 medium potatoes.
3. Add the celery and onion to the grease and sauté until clear. Add in the garlic and cook another minute or so. Add in the potatoes, stirring to coat. Sauté for another 4 minutes.
4. Cover the veggies with chicken broth or stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender.
5. About a half hour before serving, melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Whisk in ½ c. flour and cook, whisking constantly for 2-3 minutes to cook off the flour taste. Whisk in milk or cream and bring just to a boil stirring constantly. Sauce will thicken when it is hot enough.
6. Scoop two cups of broth from the soup pot and whisk it into the butter/flour mixture, then add the whole mixture to the soup pot. Use an immersion blender to blend some of the potatoes to thicken the soup.
7. When heated and thickened, season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Garnish with freshly shredded Cheddar cheese and the bacon.

3.5.3251

*Adapted from this recipe.