Baked potato soup

I don't remember where I picked up this recipe, but it's a nice, hearty soup, great on cold days. It makes a lot, so plan to feed a crowd or cut the recipe in half.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash potatoes, poke with a fork, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until soft. Cool to room temperature; you can refrigerate for 1 hour to speed up the cooling. Remove the skins and coarsely chop the potatoes; set aside.

Finely chop the bacon and fry until crispy; drain on paper towels and set aside. Let the milk come to room temperature. Place 1½ cups of chopped potatoes into a blender with a little water or milk, and blend until the potatoes are thin, but smooth and creamy.

In a large, heavy pot (I use my 8-qt. stockpot, but a Dutch oven would also do), melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Gradually mix the flour into the onion mixture, and stir for a minute or two; don’t let the flour brown. Whisking constantly, slowly add the chicken broth to the onion mixture. Next, add the potato puree and mix well. Lower the heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes; stir often to avoid scorching on the bottom.

Add milk, parsley, thyme, cayenne, salt, pepper, and the remaining chopped potatoes. Cover and simmer another 30 minutes, stirring often.

Add salt and pepper to taste. If soup is too thick, thin with more milk. Add 3/4 of the crisp bacon and mix well.

Serve garnished with the remaining bacon, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and/or chives, if desired.

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Last updated 4 March 2004.
All text and photographs © George Mitchell and Margaret Johnston, unless otherwise noted
Comments, questions, suggestions to margaret@lonelymountain.net.