POTATO SOUP

I love this stuff. It is warm, creamy, and comforting. It is great on a cold night. It comes together fairly quickly and is a great dish to serve on a winter night with crackers or even bread.

My Mom made this about once a month during the long winters in Kansas, where I grew up. It was one of my favorite soups of all time. My other favorite soup is cheese and meatball soup, but that is another story for another day.

Potato soup is hearty and warming, so good. Aside from some prep, it is a very easy soup to put together. Once you prep, it takes about 45 minutes to cook. Try it tonight.

Potato Soup was a winter fixture in our monthly menu when I was a kid.  Today, I had some potatoes left from a 5 pound bag and so I made potato soup because we are having an unusually cold winter here in New Mexico.  I love this stuff.  It is rich, and warm and soothing. Try it today!

INGREDIENTS

5 Bacon Slices, diced

3 Tablespoons Bacon Grease

1 Cup Yellow Onion, diced

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

¼ Cup Flour

2 Cups Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock

2 Cups Milk

1 ½ Pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, diced

1 Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

½ Cup Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt

1 teaspoon Salt, or more to taste

½ teaspoon Pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add diced bacon and cook until crispy, stirring occasionally. Take the bacon out of the pot and set it aside. Reserve 3 Tablespoons of the bacon grease in the stockpot. Discard the rest of the bacon grease.

2. Add the diced onion to the stockpot and saute for 5 minutes, until soft, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Stir in the flour and sate for an additional 1 minute to cook the flour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the stock, milk, and cream. Stir in the potatoes.

3. Continue cooking until the mixture just reaches a simmer, before it begins to boil. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft, being sure to sure the soup every few minutes so that the bottom does not burn. 

4. Once the potatoes are nice and soft, stir in the cheddar cheese and sour cream or Greek yogurt, salt, pepper and cooked bacon bits.  Taste and season the extra salt and pepper, if needed.

5. Serve warm with chives, green onions, more cheese or sour cream is desired.