Cheesy Creamy Potato Soup with Bacon

BR-R IT'S COLD

Hard to believe we need a warm-up in Arizona-temps were in teens one night coldest on record in 7 years, plants were covered, the fountain froze rock solid and I dug out my MN winter gear. It was then I declared it must be time for soup!

Cook's Notes: Now I know there are a plethora of potato soup recipes around but this one is definitely a "shining star." The surprising add ins spices give the soup a depth of flavor. It was "off the charts for me."
Yellow or Yukon Gold potatoes contain more moisture than high-starch potatoes (like russets), so they don't fall apart as easily. This type of potato is a good choice for this soup. 
Soup will be thick on second day so use more chicken broth to thin it out. 
Recipe serves 4-6 depending on the size of the bowl. 

 

Cooking Tips

• Cut your potatoes into pieces no larger than 3/4″ and try to keep them around the same size so that they cook at the same time. Nothing worse than biting into a crisp, raw-inside chunk of potato!
• To make this soup nice and creamy, I recommend pureeing about half of it either by using an immersion blender or by transferring a portion of the soup to a blender, pureeing, and then stirring the pureed soup back into the pot. If you want a completely smooth soup you can puree all of it, but I prefer to have a few actual pieces of potato, so I think pureeing half gives it the best taste and texture.
• Don’t return the bacon to the pot until after you have pureed some of the soup. It’s best not to blend the bacon 😉.
• The ancho chili powder is, in my humble opinion, a must and gives this soup the most perfect depth of flavor. I blend it into the potato soup and also sprinkle it on top before serving. I recommend adding just a 1/4 teaspoon and then taste testing before adding more.
  

Ancho chile powder is a staple in Mexican cuisine and is one of the most popular spices in the region, part of its ‘holy trinity’ -- this powder has moderate heat and is made from dried and ground poblano chiles. This spice is usually used in sauces and salsa. Chili powder and dash of red pepper flakes for the ancho chile powder can be substituted.  

Ingredients:

• 5 strips (uncooked) bacon cut into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons butter unsalted or salted will work
• 1 cup each celery and onions 
• 3 large garlic cloves minced
• 1/3  cup flour
• 2 ½ lbs gold potatoes peeled and diced into pieces no larger than 1 inch about 5-1/2 cups
• 1-32 oz. box of chicken broth, low sodium 
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder or 1/4 tsp. chili powder with a dash of red pepper flakes  
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Place bacon pieces in a soup pot or Ditch oven over medium heat and cook until bacon is crisp and browned. Remove bacon pieces and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
• Add butter and chopped onions and celery and cook over medium heat until onions are tender (3 minutes).
• Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
• Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients in the pot and stir until smooth (use whisk if needed).
• Add diced potatoes to the pot along with chicken broth, heavy cream, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and all spices. Stir well.
• Bring to a boil, reduce to medium and cook uncovered until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork (about 20 minutes).
• Reduce heat to simmer and remove approximately half of the soup to a blender (be careful, it will be hot!) and puree until smooth (half is about 5 cups of soup, but just eyeballing the amount will be fine. Alternatively you can use an immersion blender.).
• Return the pureed soup to the pot. Add cheddar cheese and bacon, allow soup to simmer for 15 minutes before serving. Top with chopped scallions or fresh chives.