The title for my recipe really should be BACON-Y Potato Soup! Like any good potato soup (the non vegan kind) it is loaded with crispy bacon! But if you want to convert this recipe to a vegan or vegetarian version, you can easily do so by skipping the bacon, butter, heavy cream and cheese. I know there are several great vegan alternatives in the local grocery store around Tampa.

Ingredients :

1 box (32 oz) good quality chicken or vegetable stock. *I used Progresso*

6 strips of bacon, cut into bite sizes bits and cooked crisp in its own fat (save the fat!)

1/2 small yellow onion, diced

3 large Idaho or Russet potatoes, cleaned, peeled and cubed

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp AP flour

Salt & Pepper to taste

1/2 cup heavy cream

Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Sautee the cut bacon until crispy, you may need to do this in two batches. To save time and clean up, I actually saute it in the stock pot that I’m going to be making the soup in. Once the bacon is cooked. transfer to a paper towel lined plate and set aside as this will be the last thing you put on top of your soup. Do not drain the pot as you will be sauteing the diced onions until they start to brown releasing all of their natural sugars.

Once the onions are sauteed, drain the excess oil from the pot and put it back on the heat. Add the stock and your peeled, cut and clean potatoes. Simmer on a medium heat.

While the soup simmers, in a separate small pan, melt your butter and add the flour – whisking as you go. This is how you make a quick and easy roux. Cook on a low heat for about a minute to alleviate any raw flour taste you’d introduce into your soup. Add a few ladles of the hot soup to the roux. Whisk vigorously. Sometimes it is hard to remove all of the lumps so I add the roux mixture back into the soup pot with strainer to make sure it is nice and smooth.

After about 15 minutes, your potatoes should be cooked. You can test it with a fork, making sure it goes through smoothly (this is a sure fire way to test if the potatoes are tender). I then mash a few of the potatoes against the soup pot to add a little more depth and creaminess to the finished product. Add cream and salt & pepper – taste for flavor – add more if necessary.

Garnish with cheddar cheese and bacon. You can also use sour cream if you have that on hand, it adds a robust tartness to the soup.

Pro tip*

You can add water to the soup if it’s too salty or thick. This step will not inhibit the flavor at all!

Bon appetit!

Rachel