This soup meets both of my criteria for a good and simple soup. My daughter loves potato soup, so I make it frequently for her, especially when it gets chilly. This variation is now her favorite because there is more “stuff” in it and it tastes great. Fortunately, I almost always have everything I need on hand.
Also, if I prepare the ingredients the night before, I can get this going in the slow cooker in the morning before my coffee is ready. It’s also possible to get the bacon ready the night before. It doesn’t take too long to get home because I use the programmable start button.
Everyone in the household enjoys loading up their bowls of potato soup with their favorite ingredients. If you give it a try, you’ll see that it’s a hit with the whole family and the leftovers are easy to reheat.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
Six slices of bacon, crisped to perfection
Diced Russet potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds’ worth)
1 diced onion
Carrots, two large, peeled and chopped
Chopped celery equals 1/2 cup
4 minced garlic cloves
Ham steaks, diced, about 2 to 3 cups
4 fresh thyme sprigs or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
In a pinch, salt
12 to 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
4 12 cups Chicken stock 14 cup Flour
An Evening’s Worth of Heavy Cream, Servings: 1 1/2 (Either whole or half-and-half milk is acceptable.)
one-half cup of sour cream
Instructions:
In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until it reaches a desired crispiness. Two pieces of bacon should be saved for the topping.
Put the chicken stock, diced potatoes, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, ham, bacon, thyme, salt, and pepper into the slow cooker.
Keep it on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
Take out 2 to 3 cups of the soup and mash it (don’t worry, the ham won’t mash), then put it back into the slow cooker. Combine thoroughly.
To the bowl with the heavy cream and sour cream, add the flour and mix thoroughly.
Continue cooking covered for 15 minutes on high heat.
Bacon crumbles, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onion, and chives are some potential toppings.
Notes
When storing soup in the fridge, make sure it has cooled to room temperature first. When the soup has cooled, place it in a sealed container to keep for up to four days.
Sadly, potato soups and creamy soups like this should not be frozen because the dairy will separate and lose their creamy consistency and the potatoes will absorb moisture and develop a grainy texture when defrosted.
You can substitute half-and-half or whole milk for the heavy cream. Avoid low-fat or nonfat milk and cream because they may make the soup too watery.
Soup thickeners such as cornstarch or potato flakes are also viable alternatives.
• Since this soup is quite filling on its own, I don’t usually serve anything else with it, unless it’s a fun salad, in which case I’ll plate it like a soup and salad combo. Salads like apple pecan and strawberry spinach salads, as well as broccoli salad, are delicious companions. The combination of hearty ingredients and crisp vegetables is fantastic.