Bacon and Cabbage Soup

This is a very yummy soup! It's great for a cold weather warm-you-up, delecious as s meal beginner, or wonderful as a one pot meal! I sometimes use regular bacon in place of the Canadian bacon just to change it up sometimes. I forgot to measure how much soup I got but I know I froze several quarts. The amount will be a "guestimation".

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Yields: 4-5 quarts

Ingredients

• 1⁄3 lb Canadian bacon
• 3  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1  medium onion, finely chopped
• 2  large yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 5 1⁄2 cups  chicken stock or 5 1⁄2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 4  bay leaves
• 2  teaspoons kosher salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1⁄2 small  head savoy cabbage, cored and thinly sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

Directions

1. In small saucepan, combine bacon and cold water to cover. Cover, bring to boil over moderate heat, and skim foam from surface.
2. Reduce heat and simmer 7 minutes. Drain and cool, then cut into 1-inch chunks. Set aside.
3. In 6-quart heavy stock pot over moderate heat, melt butter. Add onion and saute, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add potatoes and saute 2 minutes. Add stock, bay leaves, salt, and
4. pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat to moderately low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add cabbage and simmer 5 additional minutes. Discard bay leaves.
5. Working in 3 batches, in blender puree soup until smooth (using caution when blending hot liquids). Return to pot, stir in bacon, and rewarm if necessary. Ladle soup into bowls and serve.