POTATO SOUP

BY MRS. CHOCOLATE

The weather is cooling down and nothing warms me up like a nice bowl of soup. This weekend I was in the mood for a hearty warming bowl, and decided to make potato soup adapted from this recipe from Gimme Some Oven. I love thick creamy chowders and potatoes; add in some bacon and what’s not to love!

Ingredients:

5 slices diced bacon
3 tablespoons bacon grease (reserved) or butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups warmed milk
1.5 pounds diced potatoes
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
optional toppings: thinly-sliced green onions or chives, shredded cheese, bacon, sour cream

Directions:
Cook the bacon. I cooked it in the oven, 15 minutes on 400 degrees, but you can also cook it in the stockpot you’re using for the soup. Set aside. Next make the roux by starting off with the bacon grease (or butter) and flour and then mixing in the chicken stock and milk. Once it’s well mixed, add the potatoes and bacon and let it simmer 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are soft. I always add a little extra flour to my roux as I like my soups and cream sauces to be thicker. After the potatoes are tender add in the cheddar cheese and seasonings. The recipe calls for sour cream or greek yogurt here, but it’s a little too tangy for me so I omit it. I think celery and mushrooms would also add some great flavor, but you can really add anything you like. When it’s done, garnish as you like. Enjoy!


Source by: http://www.hellobee.com/2015/11/05/potato-soup/#more-128874