Baked Potato Soup

I have a confession to make. This post isn’t really about potato soup. It’s about bacon. I just wanted bacon, anything with bacon. After a bit of brainstorming, I decided upon baked potato soup with bacon flavor cooked into the soup and crispy bits of bacon sprinkled on top. Served with a side of leftover pepperoni pizza salad, my bacon-topped baked potato soup was pure comfort in a bowl.

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 4 large Russet Potatoes
• Olive Oil and Salt, for rubbing potatoes
• 1/2 pound Bacon, chopped
• 1 small Onion, chopped
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 3 cups Milk (skim milk would be fine)
• 1 tsp Salt (plus more, if desired)
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper (plus more, if desired)
• 2-3 Scallions, chopped
• 1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly clean potatoes. Use the tip of a knife to puncture the potatoes a few times on each side. Rub the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for about an hour, until the potatoes are tender, as tested by inserting a knife into the potato. Cut in half and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook the chopped bacon until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon, leaving the rendered bacon grease in the pan. Set the cooked bacon aside for topping the soup. Add the chopped onion to the bacon grease in the pan and cook, over medium-low for about 5-7 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Turn off the heat.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the tender potato and discard (or eat) the potato skins. Gently smash the potatoes. Add the sour cream. Use an immersion blender to blend the mixture or transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender to combine. Add the milk and blend. Add more milk, if desired, until the soup reaches your desired consistency. Season with the salt and pepper, to taste.

Over medium/medium-low heat, warm the soup for a few minutes, until it begins to gently bubble. Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, and chopped scallions.

Serves 4