Servings 10 servings
Equipment
- hand blender or blender
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3/4 cup diced celery
- 1 1/2 cups diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 small Russett potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish
- Sour cream, for garnish
- Sliced scallions, for garnish
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until all the fat has rendered. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and drain off all but 1/4 cup of the drippings.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and then add the celery and onions to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Increase the heat to medium and then add the cubed potatoes, stirring to combine. Cook the potatoes for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the chicken stock. (The chicken stock should just cover the potatoes, so depending on your pot, you may have to add more stock.) Bring the soup to a simmer then cover the pot and cook the soup for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- In a separate medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour to make a roux. Stir the roux constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until it's pale golden then whisk in the milk. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook it, stirring constantly, until it's thickened slightly. (It should be the consistency of gravy.) Whisk the milk mixture into the potato mixture and cook the soup for 5 minutes over medium-low heat.
- Remove the soup from the heat. Transfer 1/3 of the soup to a medium bowl. Use a hand blender to purée the soup left in the pot until smooth (see Kelly's Notes). Then, add the reserved soup back into the pot and stir to combine.
- Stir in the heavy cream and season the soup with salt and pepper. When ready to serve, top each bowl of soup with the cooked bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and scallions.
Notes
- I prefer to season my soups at the end to avoid over-salting. That being said, potatoes need a hearty amount of salt, so don't be afraid to start with a teaspoon of salt and at least a few turns of fresh black pepper and work your way up based on your personal preferences.
- Make this potato soup as creamy (or chunky!) as you like. Love a silky-smooth soup? Purée the entire batch until velvety. Prefer a little texture? Just blend part of it or use a potato masher, leaving some tender potato chunks for contrast.
- If you don't have a hand blender, you can purée the soup in batches in a blender. Leave 1/3 of the soup in the pot and purée the rest in the blender then continue with the recipe as directed. Tip: Vent the lid to prevent steam buildup (and a soup explosion!).
- To make this soup vegetarian: Skip the bacon and cook the onions and celery in 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil instead, and swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
- Store leftovers (without any toppings) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Because this is a dairy-based soup, I don’t recommend freezing it—dairy tends to separate when thawed, resulting in a grainy texture.
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