Potato Soup by zen

[BakerAunt]

Soup - Potato
Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on November 17, 2013 at 3:49 am

I've been making a version of this soup for about 8 years. The original recipe (link posted) called for different ingredients. Over time I discovered that the flour and extra butter called for in the original recipe was not only totally unnecessary, but detracted from the flavor and texture of the soup. Potatoes have plenty of natural starches in them to thicken the soup without having to add flour. Also, if you cook to have leftovers (as I do), the flour makes the soup set up into a gelatinous icky mass and develops an obvious and unpleasant grainy texture. You may not notice this graininess while the soup is fresh, but it becomes the most obvious feature of the soup the next day or after freezing. Since I started leaving that out entirely, the flavor of the soup was much better even when fresh. I didn't realize until I stopped using it how the flour muted the flavor of the soup, nor how much it affected the texture, even when fresh off the stove.

If the 1/2 pound of bacon isn't enough for you, go ahead and use a pound - but use only about half the resulting bacon grease. I think how much bacon you want ends up being related to the size of the potatoes you use - the original directions are vague, saying only "8 potatoes". If you use 8 baking-size potatoes, that's one thing, but if you use 8 medium russets, that's about half as much. I use 8 med. russets. I will weigh the potatoes the next few times I make this and update with an approximate weight to aim for.

Russets or other starchy potatoes are best for this soup if you want a creamy, thick soup.
If you want a clear broth (or at least clearer), use something less starchy such as Yukon Gold potatoes, leave out the cream, and skip the step where you mash up some of the potatoes and add them back in. Personally I wouldn't bother to peel the potatoes when using a thin-skinned, buttery-fleshed variety such as Yukon Gold.

Yield: 6 servings
Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/absolutely-ultimate-potato-soup/detail.aspx

• 1/2 pound bacon, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 cups chicken stock, or enough to cover potatoes
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 2-3 T chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Chop a package of bacon in half - wrap one half up and save it for later.

2. Unwrap the other half and cut it into about 6 chunks. Cook in the bottom of a large soup pan. When the bacon is crisp, scoop it out and set it aside, leaving the bacon grease in the pan.

3. While the bacon is cooking, prep the vegetables - chop the onions and celery, and peel and cube the potatoes.

4. Saute celery, onions and garlic until they just start to cook, then add the potatoes and toss to coat, saute for another 3 or 4 minutes.

5. Add chicken stock (not broth, but stock - the boullion cubes are fine if you can't find actual stock - I recommend

6. Aldi's/Trader Joe's low-salt chicken stock) to cover the potatoes.

7. Add the cooked bacon.

8. Bring to a simmer; cover the pan and cook until the potatoes are cooked and tender, about 20 minutes.

9. Add the tarragon after about 10 minutes.

10. Add the cilantro when potatoes are done.

11. Add the cream and stir in thoroughly.

12. While the soup warms back up, remove some of the potato chunks and mash them with a fork or potato masher. Be careful, they are hot!!! Use a much larger bowl so they don't creep up over the edge while you're mashing them. You could also remove some of the soup and liquid and puree it in a blender, but I find it easier to just mash them up by hand rather than having to deal with hot soup in a blender.

13. In either case, add the mashed or pureed potatoes back into the soup and stir it up well.

14. Serve!

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