Description
Hearty potato & bacon soup whisks home cooks straight to comfort’s embrace. Creamy Wisconsin potatoes and crisp bacon blend in perfect harmony, promising warmth and satisfaction with each delicious spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 6 medium potatoes (peeled and diced)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups whole milk
- 6 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled)
Aromatics and Seasonings:
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional, for added flavor)
Finishing Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions (for garnish)
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Render bacon in a spacious pot over medium flame until golden and crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, crumbling into bits while reserving a thin layer of rendered fat in the cooking vessel.
- Introduce finely diced onions and minced garlic into the residual bacon drippings. Sauté until aromatics become translucent and fragrant, releasing their delicate essence.
- Incorporate cubed potatoes into the vegetable mixture, gently coating them with the flavorful base. Pour chicken broth over the ingredients, ensuring potatoes are completely submerged.
- Elevate heat until liquid reaches a vigorous boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Allow potatoes to tenderize, approximately 15-18 minutes, until they yield effortlessly when pierced with a fork.
- Gently disrupt potato structure using a manual masher or immersion blender, creating a rustic texture with a mixture of smooth puree and hearty chunks.
- Introduce milk, heavy cream, salt, and pepper to the potato foundation. Maintain low heat, allowing flavors to harmonize and the soup to develop a luxurious, velvety consistency.
- Reintegrate crispy bacon fragments into the soup, stirring to distribute their smoky essence throughout the creamy landscape.
- Conduct a final seasoning assessment, adjusting salt and pepper to personal preference. Ladle into warm bowls, crowning with verdant green onion slivers and optional sharp cheddar cheese shreds.
Notes
- Choose thick-cut bacon for a more robust flavor and crispier texture, ensuring it renders enough fat for sautéing vegetables.
- Reserve some bacon grease to enhance the soup’s depth and richness, creating a more authentic old-fashioned taste.
- For a lighter version, swap heavy cream with half-and-half or milk, and use turkey bacon to reduce overall fat content.
- Customize the soup’s consistency by adjusting potato mashing – more mashing creates a smoother texture, while less creates a chunkier soup.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg