Soup never solved anyone’s problems, but sometimes it can help. This is the meal I make when I need the food equivalent of a hug, so I’m making it tonight, and eating it under a blanket, my phone and computer turned off and something Disney on the TV.
Potato Soup For The Soul
What You Need:
- 4 slices best-quality bacon, cut into matchsticks
- 1 cup baby carrots, cut into thirds
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 4 russet potatoes, diced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Chopped parsley
- Sea salt
What You Do:
- In a large soup pot, cook the bacon matchsticks until crispy, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour out a little of the bacon fat (not all of it) if there’s too much for your liking (I just left it all in, because the more bacon fat, the better…obviously).
- Toss the onion, carrot and celery into the pot. Sprinkle over the garlic powder and cook about five minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the potatoes and about 1/2 tsp salt and cook another five minutes.
- Pour in the chicken broth, turn down the heat, cover and simmer another ten minutes or so.
- Whisk together the milk and flour and add to the pot. Stir and let simmer another five minutes uncovered, until the soup has thickened.
- Stir in the heavy cream and taste. Add a little more salt if you want.
- Pour about half of the soup into a blender (you may have to work in batches so you don’t overfill your blender) and puree until smooth, then return to the pot so you have a half-smooth/half-chunky mixture.
- Serve by sprinkling with chopped parsley and some bacon bits.
