Cheesy Potato Soup
Rendering bacon at the start is the key to this soup – the fat is used to cook the vegetables, building a smoky, savory base that flavors the entire dish.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 6 slices bacon, finely diced
- ~1 cup finely diced yellow onion
- ~1 cup finely diced carrot
- ~1.5 cups diced baby gold potatoes, unpeeled
- ~1.5 cups diced sweet potatoes, peeled
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- ~1.5 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Render the Bacon and Sauté the Vegetables
In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the diced bacon and cook until it’s crisp. Use a slotted spoon to move the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot.
Add the diced carrot and onion to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for ~7-9 minutes until tender. Add the gold potatoes, sweet potatoes, garlic, and all the seasonings, and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Simmer the Potatoes
Pour in the chicken broth and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer, uncovered, for ~15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Make the Roux and Finish the Soup
While the soup simmers, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a separate pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk until the mixture thickens.
Reduce the heat to low and stir the milk mixture into the soup. Turn off the heat and gradually stir in the shredded cheese until it’s fully melted.
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the reserved crispy bacon.
Cheesy Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 6 slices bacon finely diced
- ~1 cup finely diced yellow onion
- ~1 cup finely diced carrot
- ~1.5 cups diced baby gold potatoes unpeeled
- ~1.5 cups diced sweet potatoes peeled
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- ~1.5 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Method
- Melt 1 tbsp butter in large pot over medium heat. Cook diced bacon until crisp; remove to paper towels.
- In bacon fat, sauté carrots and onions 7-9 minutes until tender.
- Add both potatoes, garlic, thyme, mustard, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes.
- Add broth, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
- In separate pot, melt remaining 3 tbsp butter. Whisk in flour, cook 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in milk until thickened.
- Stir milk mixture into soup. Turn off heat.
- Stir in cheddar until melted.
- Serve topped with reserved bacon.
