Ultimate Potato Soup

Potato soup is one of our favorite fall back recipes.  It’s frugal, it’s fast, and it’s filling.  Three qualities that are somewhat hard to come by in our house.

This potato soup recipe is by far one of the best recipes I’ve come across.  We’ve made it for the last seven years, have tweaked it a bit, and have come to what we think is the perfect recipe.  That’s why I’m calling it ultimate!  It’s creamy, filling and very wallet friendly.  I’m not, however, going to say it’s the most figure friendly meal, but it’s taste more than makes up for it!  And hey, everything in moderation, right?

What sets it apart, aside from the obvious use of reserved bacon drippings to sauté the vegetables in, is the addition of a roux at the end.  I’ve tried making the soup with flour added to the veggie base before adding the broth like I do for my Chicken & Wild Rice soup, but it’s honestly not the same.

And while most potato soups I’ve seen don’t add in carrots or other veggies, I do if I’ve got them on hand.  My kids consider carrots as one of the “safe” veggies to eat, and as a result most soups that contain carrots, they’ll eat.  It’s my way of being sneaky and getting them to try something new.

Now if you don’t have bacon on hand, you don’t have to add it.  You can also use sunflower oil as a substitute for the bacon grease.  If you don’t want to add in carrots, don’t add in carrots!  Use what you have on hand, and make it work for you!

Ingredients:

• 6 slices bacon, cooked
• 2 tablespoons bacon grease, reserved
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 6-8 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed {I’ve used white, russet and red potatoes for this with success}
• 4 cups chicken broth {I use homemade chicken broth}
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• salt & pepper to taste
• Optional:
• cheddar or Parmesan cheese
• cooked bacon
• sour cream
• Sriacha sauce {Hubs’ personal favorite}

Directions:

1. Cook bacon and reserve grease.  I prefer to use my griddle for this step.
2. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons butter and reserved bacon grease.  Add in onion and celery, cooking until soft and onions are translucent.
3. Add in potatoes, stirring to combine and prevent potatoes from sticking.  Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add in chicken broth, cover and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.
5. Meanwhile, in a small pot melt 3 tablespoons butter.  Whisk in flour, being sure to stir constantly so it doesn’t stick or burn.  Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.  Slowly add in milk, whisking constantly to ensure that there are no lumps of flour.  Bring to a boil, stirring continually, until thickened and bubbly.
6. Add milk mixture to the potato soup, stirring to incorporate.  Cook an additional 5 minutes.
7. Serve with toppings of your choice.

Serves: 6-8