Totally Loaded Potato Soup
Loaded potato soup is the perfect hearty lunch or dinner a cold day!
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 462kcal
Ingredients
- 6 cups potatoes peeled & cubed (about 6 med-large)
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 ribs celery diced
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 3 tbs fresh basil coarsely chopped (about 3-4 large leaves)**
- 3 slices thick-cut bacon diced
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded provolone or smoked provolone
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese preferably white
- 2 cups milk heavy cream, light cream, or half & half*
- 2/3 cup flour
- 4 tbs butter
Garnish:
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 4 slices cooked bacon diced or crumbled
- 2 green onions finely sliced
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese preferably yellow
Instructions
- Over medium heat in a large pot or dutch oven, cook bacon until brown and crisp. Remove from pot and set aside. Do not drain pan. You are using the bacon fat for flavoring.
- Add the onion, celery and garlic. Cook until onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the stock, basil, reserved bacon, potatoes, salt and white pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
- In a separate small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Gradually whisk in the flour, making sure there are no lumps. Continue stirring the butter/flour combination (this is a roux) for about 3-5 minutes until it smells a bit "toasted."
- Whisking constantly, gradually add the cream, very slowly, making sure there are no lumps and mixture is smooth. Cook for about 2 minutes, until cream is hot and mixture is thick.
- Whisk the cream mixture into the stock/potato mixture. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove about half of the soup and puree in a blender or Ninja. Add the pureed soup back to the pot. Heat through.
- Stir in the cheeses and remove from heat. Partially cover the pot and let it sit for about 5 minutes to melt the cheeses.
- Stir again and serve, topping each bowl with a good amount of each garnish ingredient heaped in the center.
Notes
*I used a combination of heavy cream and whole milk, maybe 3/4 heavy cream to 1/4 milk.
** The fresh basil may be substituted with 1 tsp dehydrated.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 462kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 1077mg | Potassium: 1040mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1011IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 358mg | Iron: 6mg