We like soups at our house, they are often easy to make with simple but filling ingredients. Kids also like dipping bread into their soup and, really if I’m honest, Mike does too. Oh & who am I kidding?! So do I!
Soup is also perfect to work with a large group & good if you are on a budget. We double or triple this recipe, storing leftovers for those busy days when we have NO time to cook. Seriously, time just can get away from you some days & back-ups are great to have.
AND since there was a craving going on for Baked Potato Soup this recipe just hit the spot. It can easily be adopted for a meatless dish well simply leave out the bacon using olive oil to saute onion & garlic while substituting vegetable broth for chicken broth, which for us a big bonus because we do meatless days one to two days a week. During Lent, we can also make this soup to give us something different than the usual fish sticks or tuna casserole that graces many a table during Lent.
What You Need:
3 bacon strips, diced (optional)
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
2 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup half-and-half cream
Shredded Cheddar cheese
How To Put It Together:
Bake your potatoes, this usually takes 45 minutes to an hour in a 350 degree oven. Once these are fork tender, let cool until you can peel them. After you peel simply cut into various sized cubes.
While your potatoes are cooling…
In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Once you’ve got crisp bacon, drain the grease & reserve 1 tablespoon drippings. Set bacon aside you’ll use the bacon as a topping later & saute with the drippings in the next step. (Again you can leave out the bacon, just substitute olive oil for the drippings in the next step).
Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender over low to medium heat. Try not to over cook or burn you want them translucent (see through). Burnt garlic also can have a bitter taste.
Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well. Again careful here. Ours got a little brown, which was fine in taste but I prefer a clearer white color for visual.
Once you have those together, gradually add broth (either chicken or vegetable).
Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes.
Add in your potatoes.
Then add your cream.
Now if you want a creamier soup you can lightly mash (with a potato masher) keeping large chunks of potatoes. I really like this myself it has a nice balance of textures doing so but you can skip this step if you want or if you are someone who’d rather just have super-chunky.
Heat on low.
Once it’s all warmed together garnish with bacon & cheese. If you like you can also top with sour cream & chives.
Very filling & warming on a cold Winter’s day.
Source: AllRecipes with adaptations
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
[New Post] Baked Potato Soup – http://theconfusedhomemaker.com/2011/02/…
Sounds wonderful!! Thanks for sharing!
It is really, really good. You should give it a try!
Soup is totally the ultimate comfort food. Just made some French onion actually. This looks fantastic…especially with some bacon on top!!
Thank you
And…soup is the ultimate! French Onion Soup is really some good soul-comfort food. I love it.