Potato Soup

Submitted by MarieRynr

"This is a very tasty and delicous soup, easy to make and not hard on the budget!"

 

• Ready In: 40mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1 lb bacon, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 cups chicken stock, enough to cover potatoes
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 3 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper

directions

1. In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until done.
2. Remove bacon from pan, and set aside.
3. Drain off all but 1/4 cup of the bacon grease.
4. In the bacon grease remaining in the pan, saute the celery and onion until onion begins to turn clear.
5. Add the garlic, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Add the cubed potatoes, and toss to coat.
7. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
8. Return the bacon to the pan, and add enough chicken stock to just cover the potatoes.
9. Cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender.
10. In a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
11. Whisk in the flour.
12. Cook stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes.
13. Whisk in the heavy cream, tarragon and cilantro.
14. Bring the cream mixture to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.
15. Stir the cream mixture into the potato mixture.
16. Puree about 1/2 the soup, and return to the pan.
17. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Reviews

[Barbara in southern]

Wow, this is delicious! I only used 1/2 lb bacon and only used 1/8 c. of the bacon grease reserve to sauté the onions & celery. Only had half & half, so that's what I used too. Didn't have cilantro and while I love cilantro, don't prefer it in my potato soup. Next time I may try it, though! Really easy--too, only 30 minutes start to finish. Really delicious!

 

[banoose]

I just spent 2 hours looking for this recipe as I didn't save it the last time I made it! That alone tells me how good it is. I also omitted some of the seasonings and made a more simple version, but sticking to the main parts. I think the leftover bacon grease is really what gives this soup a velvety smooth delicious texture. Also, I used 2% milk instead of cream since that's what I had on hand. This soup freezes well too!

 

[Cheffie M]

I changed so much in this recipe that I hesitated to review it, but I decided I would rate it because I stuck true to the basic proportions of ingredients. This is just the right thickness for a nice creamy potato soup. Many potato soup recipes are either too thick and gummy or thin and runny. The texture and mouthfeel of this one was just right. Here are the changes I made: I used half-and-half instead of the heavy cream and I substituted parsley and chives for the cilantro because, although I love cilantro, I didn't think I would like it here. I used a little celery salt instead of the celery and I omitted the garlic. We are vegetarians so I just used a tiny bit of oil to saute the onion, then I added a few drops of liquid smoke to the soup (no, it doesn't taste like bacon but it definitely added some good flavor). I cut the tarragon amount in half just because I wasn't sure how we would like it. Being a vegetarian, I also used vegetable broth instead of the chicken broth, of course. If anything, this shows that this recipe is able to be tailored to anyone's tastes or dietary choices. Thanks a bunch for posting this, Marie Alice. I am sure to make this many times this winter.

 

[Chef PotPie]

Oh my goodness! This is essentially the way I've been making potato soup for years, but I never write anything down, so it was never consistent. This is the recipe I will use from now on! (Minus the cilantro. Like elmotoo, I have the cilantro gene, and cannot stand the stuff!) I used half-and-half and still it was Oh So Rich. You could just use whole milk and it would still be great. Loved the addition of tarragon. Comfort food at it's best. Thanks, Marie Alice!

 

[Elmotoo]

Oooh lala! This should be called bacon & potato soup. I skipped the cilantro because I hate the stuff. I didn't add more salt but was generous with the pepper. It thickened up as it cooled so I added some skim milk. I think 1/2 & 1/2 would work fine instead of all heavy cream. It is DELICIOUS and I will be making more evry soon. Thank you, Marie Alice!