Wednesday, October 21, 2020

CREAMY POTATO SOUP WITH HAM AND BACON RECIPE

2nd Man made this soup recently and oh my, it was SO good and satisfying.  It's a creamy potato soup but we like to think of it as a loaded baked potato soup.


INGREDIENTS:

5 oz bacon, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 TBSP all purpose flour
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 pinch cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups chicken broth
4 to 5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup whole milk
6 oz cooked ham
1/4 cup heavy cream
*to taste: shredded cheddar, chives, green onions

DIRECTIONS:
  1. In a heavy, large pot over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring often, until it is crisp and browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  2. Add the carrots, celery, and onion to the bacon fat and cook until the celery softens, about 7 minutes.
  3. Add the flour, thyme, cayenne, and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper, and stir 1 minute. Gradually stir in the broth and bring to a boil.
  4. Add the potatoes, milk, and 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste, check the saltiness of your broth). Return to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
  5. Use a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes in the pot, this makes the soup thicker and creamier (if you don’t have a potato masher, you can use an immersion blender or blend a cup or two of the soup in a blender or simply scoop out some potatoes and mash them with a fork). 
  6. Stir in the ham and cream, and heat through.
  7. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve topped with the reserved bacon (and shredded cheddar and chives or green onions, if you like).
This is a great full meal and even though we are eating it in the Summer/Fall it would be great in the Winter.

Enjoy!

12 comments:

  1. Looks outstanding and it's pretty close to my recipe.
    I don't put ham or the cayenne pepper in mine but I do put in roughly 3 cups of chopped broccoli florets along with - at least 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese; shredded from the block & finely shredded Parmesan cheese.
    Thank you
    You both have a great day & wonderful evening.

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  2. To repeat: how is 2nd man's new job going? Is all well? Roderick

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    Replies
    1. I wanted to reply to you since you've asked. I'll have a regular update this weekend along with random pictures, but yes, it's great. He really likes it, it's the same thing he's done in his career but at a new company after 6 years at the previous employer, it's a learning curve of their processes and how they run things and then of course the acronyms. He said learning the acronyms is always the hardest part at a new company (since every speaks in acronym shorthand, ha).

      Anyway, thanks for asking, first 4 days down. Thanks Roderick!!

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  3. I am bookmarking this for later this winter!

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  4. Mmm, looks really delicious! This will be so good for cold weather. I love all kinds of soup in winter – it’s a real comfort food. 2nd Man is an excellent cook – sending my thanks to him for the recipe!

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  5. My goodness ... that does look delicious! I tend to make a lot of soups ... gives me lots of delicious leftovers! It's just me here and I don't mind eating the same soup for more then a couple days! Currently, I have turkey noodle soup in the fridge! Yum!!!

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  6. That looks and sounds good. When it cools off, I might make some potato soup. How was the first day of work for 2nd man? If you've already told us, I missed it somehow.

    Love,
    Janie

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  7. Next time I make my potato soup I should add the bacon. Sounds good.

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  8. I know it is good because I made almost the same soup recipe a couple days ago ! It sure is yummy-yummy and so nice this time of year . I have been cooking a lot lately and had not posted about that soup . Been putting a lot of servings in the freezer to use later when I have right knee surgery. Sure enjoy your blog.

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  9. Sounds wonderful, almost exactly the same recipe I make, though I don't add ham or and dairy, just blend the cooked potatoes a bit with our immersion blender which we find makes it creamy enough without risking having the dairy "break" when reheating. I do add a bit of roasted garlic, and we serve it with garlic toast. Great winter weather food.

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  10. Wow, does this ever look good! Soup is one of the best parts about the cold season.

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