Potato Soup

This is a classic that I’ve cooked for years, modifying and experimenting all the time. I think the secret to this one is two-fold: 1) Bacon, and 2) evaporated milk. The evaporated milk gives you dairy richness, but without as much fat as you’d get from cream. I sprinkle the bacon right before serving so it maintains some of its crispness. I’ve done a vegetarian version that’s pretty good. I used vegetable stock to pump up the flavor, and it did some, but it’s impossible to beat the bacon if you choose to eat it.

Ingredients

1. 4 strips bacon, chopped
2. ½ medium onion, chopped
3. ¼ cup celery, sliced thin
4. 6 small potatoes, peeled and diced
5. 1 can chicken broth
6. 1 can evaporated milk
7. salt, pepper & other seasonings

Method
1. Brown bacon until crispy in a saucepan (or whatever pan you want to cook the soup in.

2. Remove the bacon, set it aside and pour off the fat.

3. Brown the onion and celery in the residual bacon fat until it’s soft.

4. Add potatoes to the pan, add chicken broth and add enough water to just cover the potatoes.

5. Bring to soft boil and simmer until the potatoes are soft (10 minutes or so, depending on the kind of potato.)

6. When the potatoes are done, add the evaporated milk and heat through. Season to taste.*

7. Sprinkle crispy bacon chunks to the soup right before serving.

* I use Penzey’s Turkish Seasoning as an all-purpose seasoning, in addition to kosher salt & pepper. Not many savory dishes come out of my kitchen without at least a pinch of it. I also use Cavender’s Greek Seasoning a lot. The soup shown here has a bit of each in it. Not a lot, just a sprinkle through the shaker top.