Potato soup comes in so many delicious variations, and this recipe is no exception! You can easily customize it to your taste by adding either crispy bacon or savory ham for extra depth of flavor. Cooking is all about making it your own, so feel free to tweak and perfect this recipe to create a family favorite that you’ll enjoy for years to come!
Ingredients:
5 medium-large Potatoes (cleaned and cubed – Yukon Gold or Red potatoes are preferred – skins on or off, it’s your choice)
1/4 cup Butter
1/3 cup Unbleached Flour
3 Celery Stalks (chopped)
1 medium Onion (diced)
2 Garlic Cloves (minced or pressed)
4 cups Chicken Stock
1 lb. Bacon (cooked and crumbled) or 1 Ham Steak
2 cups Whole Milk
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 tsp Celtic Salt
1/4 tsp. freshly cracked Black Pepper
1 cup Cheddar Cheese
Instructions:
- Clean and prepare vegetables as suggested above.
- In a stockpot, add potatoes, celery, garlic, and onion. Top with chicken stock and bring to a boil over medium heat. If using ham steak add the meat now to allow to cook in. Lower to a simmer and allow to cook for 30 minutes. (15 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered) If using bacon, add to the soup for the last 15 minutes of cooking to prevent it from becoming soggy.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour to the saucepan and stir constantly, cooking for 1 minute to prevent roux from burning to the bottom of the pan.
- Slowly add the milk and cream (in small amounts while stirring constantly)to the roux. Adding slowly will prevent lumps from forming.
- Cook for 5 minutes until thickened.
- Add salt and pepper and stir in to incorporate.
- Add the thickened milk mixture to the stockpot with the vegetables and mix well.
- Add cheddar cheese, stir in, and allow to cook on a low simmer until melted, stirring occasionally.
- Serve with fresh bread and a garnish or cheddar cheese.
- Enjoy!