Potato Soup
A creamy potato soup with bacon, onion, and a rich cheese-thickened white sauce base.
Ingredients
- *4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- *3-4 strips lean bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- *1 small onion, chopped
- *Water or chicken broth, just over half-covering the potatoes
- *1 chicken bouillon cube or chicken broth
- *1 small carrot, diced
- *Salt to taste
- *Black pepper to taste
- *2 tablespoons butter
- *4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- *1/2 cup milk (2% recommended)
- *Cheese (Velveeta or similar), small amount
- *Dried parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Peel and cube 4-5 medium potatoes, cutting some into tiny cubes which will dissolve and help thicken the soup.
- 2
Add water or chicken broth just over half-covering the potatoes. Add chicken bouillon, diced carrot, and season sparingly with salt and pepper.
- 3
Cook bacon strips (cut into 1/2 inch pieces) with diced onion in a small saucepan over medium heat, adding a little butter if needed. Cook until bacon loses some of its fat and onion is partially cooked.
- 4
Add the bacon and onion mixture to the potatoes and cook until potatoes are soft but not mushy. This can be prepared ahead and warmed later before adding the white sauce.
- 5
In the same saucepan, melt about 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
- 6
Mix in about 4 tablespoons of flour and cook together over low to medium heat for about 1 minute to remove the flour taste.
- 7
Add milk slowly, starting with 1/2 cup, cooking over low to medium heat until mixture thickens. Add more milk as needed, aiming for a slightly thick sauce as it will dilute when added to the potatoes.
- 8
Add a small amount of cheese to the sauce and stir until melted.
- 9
Stir the cheese sauce into the potatoes and cook until desired thickness is reached. If too thick, add milk and a little butter. If too thin, simmer longer.
- 10
Sprinkle with dried parsley if desired before serving.