Creamy Potato Soup with Crispy Bacon and Croutons

Creamy Potato Soup with Crispy Bacon and Croutons

Ingredient List:

4 strips bacon (thick cut)

1 Medium yellow onion

2 Cloves garlic 

3 Russet Potatoes

1/2 cup chicken (or veggie) stock

1 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp flour

Smoked paprika, chili powder, kosher salt

1/3 cup sour cream

French Baguette

Step 1: Render Bacon 

Chop and render 4 strips of bacon in the bottom of a soup pot. Remove the bacon when crispy, setting aside, but leaving the fat in the pan. 

Step 2: Saute, Season & Roux; Prep Potatoes

Roughly chop a medium yellow onion, add to the fat and sauté until translucent, then add 2 cloves of garlic minced, sauté for a minute or two. Add 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp chili powder, and a tablespoon of salt, letting cook for 30 seconds. 

While the onion is cooking, dice about a pound of potatoes into 1/2” cubes, skin on if you wish. Leave them to soak in water after they’re cut to take away excess starch and keep them from browning. 

Add 2-3 tbsp flour and mix well, cooking off for 1-2 minutes (adding butter if the mixture becomes more like meatballs and less like a roux). 

Step 3: Boil Potatoes 

Add 1/2 cup chicken stock, 1/2 cup water, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream. Drain your potatoes, and submerge them, adding water if need be. 

Bring the potatoes to a boil, and boil until the potatoes are fork tender, stirring occasionally. 

Step 4: Immersion Blend 

Use a blender or an immersion blender to blitz the potatoes. If you prefer a chunky soup, you might set aside 1/3 to 1/2 before doing this, and add it back when this step is complete. 

As a note here: do NOT use a regular blender. Blended potatoes become gluey. An immersion blender helps break up the potatoes into a smooth soup without doing this. 

Step 5: Bringing it together

Add 1/3 cup of sour cream and 3/4 of your crispy bacon bits back, and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Taste and add salt and/or smoked paprika if necessary to taste. 

For croutons - dice french baguette into 1” cubes, and toss lightly in olive oil, garlic powder, and salt. Place under a high broiler, tossing occasionally until crispy on all sides. 

Serving Suggestion:

Serve soup in a bowl, topped with croutons, the remaining bacon bits, and shredded cheddar (as shown in the photo above). Other topping options include sliced green onions, additional sour cream, or anything else delicious. I also like a bit of extra baguette on the side to dip.