I love soups, hearty, warming, comforting. Also economical, great for using up bits of things, and store and reheat easily for lunches on the go. Broth soups should be frozen without noodles and cream soups shouldn’t be frozen at all. I will usually make one for dinner, then three lunches over the following week broken up with something else.
Potatoes, bacon, garlic, onion. When I prepped Bacon I had some very lean bits that I specifically earmarked for potato soup. Lean bacon sounds like a good thing, but too lean can fry up chewy and a bit tough so is better for longer moister cooking.
Start with the onion, I just used the larger of the two partial ones I had left. Note how I cut the end bit to get the most useable onion possible. Slice down the the end, then cut in a flower pattern to dice the rest.
Smash and roughly chop several garlic cloves, the longer cooking time will mellow the garlic to subtle sweetness.
Melt a couple tablespoons butter in the bottom of a 3 quart pot. If the bacon was more fatty I would use less butter – but hey, butter and potatoes .. right?
Once the butter is foaming, add in the onions and bacon. Toss to combine, cook over medium heat until the onions soften.
Peel and dice the potatoes.
Deglaze the pan with 2 cups cold water, add the potatoes and return to medium-high heat. I could use chicken stock, simmering the bacon adds a lot of flavor Salt, pepper, celery salt.
Simmer until the potatoes are fork tender.
Remove some of the potatoes about 3/4 cup or so. Try to avoid getting any bacon. To the hot potatoes add 2 Tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup shredded co-jack cheese, two tablespoons milk, and a fat Tablespoon full fat yogurt.
Blend together until smooth and creamy. This will smooth and thicken the soup without needing four or cornstarch.
return the blended mixture back to the pot.
One for tonight, and four for later. But not done yet.
A couple days later I decided it needed a little sprucing up. So … Broccoli!
Cooked some broccoli florets, adding them to the soup for a change up and a bit more heartiness.
I have always cooked, I was that person who could make a meal from an empty fridge. I have lived alone and with large and small families, I have cooked for camps on wood stoves, and in professional kitchens. I have lived and worked all over the west from Montana, to Seattle to Arizona to San Diego. I have traveled, maybe not 'all over the world', yet, and have collected tastes recipes and techniques everywhere, and every one I meet.
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