Creamy Potato Soup With Bacon

5 from 1 vote

Creamy Potato Soup With Bacon

A filling, flavourful, comforting and oh-so creamy potato soup topped with crispy bacon to make it next-level delicious.

Prep Time5

Cook Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, British

Servings:

Calories: 288kcal

Author: Helen

Equipment

1 saucepan or dutch oven
1 countertop or hand blender

Ingredients

Potato soup

1 tbsp Oil
1 Onion
4 cloves Garlic
Potatoes raw, boiled or baked ideally with skin on, see potatoes section for quantities (Note 1 & 2)
1.5 litres chicken or veg stock (Note 3)
Salt to taste, normally ½ tsp (Note 4)
½ tsp white or black pepper
50 grams Parmesan/Pecorino or other hard cheese (Note 5)
120 ml Sour cream (Note 6)

Potatoes (use raw, cooked boiled or cooked baked potatoes)

700 grams raw potatoes
750 grams cooked boiled potatoes
525 grams cooked baked potatoes

To serve (optional)

Grated cheese
Bacon lardons
Chopped chives

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place a dutch oven or large pan on a medium heat and add oil. Add the onions when the oil is hot and cook for a few minutes until translucent.
Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.
Pour in the stock, bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Then add the potatoes and simmer for 25 minutes. (Note 7)
Meanwhile, fry the bacon pieces on a medium to high heat until crispy (if using) and prepare the other toppings.
Remove from the heat and use a countertop or hand blender to blitz until smooth. (Note 8)
Return the soup to the stove and place on a low heat and add salt, pepper, cheese and cream and stir until the cheese is melted, adding a little more stock if you feel the soup is too thick.
Serve topped with cooked bacon bits / bacon lardons, cheese, and freshly cut chives.

Notes

Potatoes: Starchy potatoes that are good for mashing are best including russet potatoes, Yukon Gold and Maris Piper. If you have some less starchy leftover potatoes you were hoping to use, that's fine too. You might need to simmer them for a little longer and strain the soup through a sieve after blending to get a smooth consistency.
Boiled and baked potatoes: My recipe works with boiled and baked potatoes. They are both really yummy and if you leave the skins on when you boil there isn't a huge difference in flavour. However, baked potatoes will give the soup a deeper and richer taste. Note that baked potatoes also have tougher skins and can be harder to blend. You might need to strain the soup to get a super smooth consistency.
Stock: Use store-bought or homemade chicken or veg stock.
Salt: Some stocks are saltier than others so the amount of additional salt required can vary so it's best to add to taste.
Cheese: I tend to opt for Parmesan or a mature cheddar but some hard cheeses are fine to use.
Cream: I recommend sour cream because it adds a subtle tanginess. You can also use single cream or creme fraiche and low-fat versions are fine if you want a lighter soup. A heavier cream like double cream is a viable option too, however, it will make the soup thicker, and you will need to add more stock.
Simmering the potatoes: Potatoes should be simmered until they are soft enough to easily get a fork through them. Leftover boiled potatoes are likely to require a shorter cooking time.
Super smooth soup: If there are still some lumps after blending you might want to strain the soup with a sieve to get a super smooth consistency.
Nutritional information is for 1 serving of soup with no toppings.

Nutrition