Potato Soup with Smoked Gouda & Bacon

• Meat

  • 6 Slices Bacon

• Produce

  • 6 Baking potatoes, medium
  • 3 Carrots
  • 2 stalks Celery
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 1 Onion
  • 1 Scallions, thin
  • 1/2 tsp Thyme, dried

• Canned Goods

  • 12 cups Chicken broth

• Baking & Spices

  • 2 tbsp Flour
  • 1 Salt and pepper

• Dairy

  • 1/2 Wheel Gouda, smoked
  • 1 8 oz Package Light cream cheese, reduced fat

Found on seasonalmuse.com

Description

Ingredients

• 6 Slices of bacon, chopped
• 1 Onion, diced
• 2 Cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Carrots peeled, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 TBS Flour
• ½ tsp. Thyme, dried
• 6 Cups chicken stock
• 6 Medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 6 Cups chicken stock
• 1 8 oz Package light cream cheese (reduced fat)
• ½ Wheel Smoked gouda - cubed
• Salt and Pepper
• Scallions/sliced thin

Directions

• In the bottom of a large stock pot cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to paper-towel lined plate to drain. Refrigerate bacon - use as a garnish when the soup is served. Leave 1 TBS of Bacon Fat in the pan - pour off the rest. Do not clean the pot - the bottom is where all the flavor lives!
• Add onions, carrots and celery to pot, cook about 5 minutes till vegetables begin to soften. Add the minced garlic and the thyme - cook another two minutes - do not let the garlic burn. Sprinkle 2 TBS flour over vegetables to coat then stir and cook about 1 minute, then slowly add one cup of stock, scraping browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
• Add the potatoes and the remaining stock. Bring to gentle boil and cook about 10 minutes until potatoes begin to get tender - dont over cook or the potatoes will become too mushy. Reduce heat to low.
• Removed 4 cups of the soup and pour it into the container of the blender. Do not fill more than half full and use extreme caution when blending hot liquids. Hold the lid securely covered by a kitchen towel and start the blending process on low - gradually increase speed. Puree until smooth then add cream cheese and gouda. Continue blending till all the cheese is melted and incorporated into a smooth mixture.
• Pour back into pot and mix all to incorporate the smooth with the remaining chunky soup. Adjust flavor to personal preference by adding Salt and Pepper to taste.
• Serve: Microwave bacon on a paper towel till hot - about 30 seconds. Ladle soup into bowls and top with scallions, crisp bacon and additional grated gouda.