Potatoes like to use salt but if you use your own homemade stock or low sodium stock which isn’t well seasoned then you have to use more to this soup for difference.
Ingredients
Russet potatoes – 4 pounds or 7 medium sized
Thick sliced bacon cut into 1/8” slices – ¼ pound
Finely chopped large onion – 1 onion or 2 cups
Finely chopped ribs celery – 2
Chicken stock – 6 cups
Kosher salt – 1 tsp
Ground white or black pepper – 1/8 tsp
Heavy cream – 2 to 4 tbsp (optional)
For garnishing:
Grated sharp cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Minced chives
Crumbled bacon (from step 3)
Method
1. Peel the potatoes and poke them all over with a fork so that they don’t explode. Put on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 1 hour at 400 deg F.
2. Take them out and keep aside to cool down. To make them cool down faster, cut them into halves lengthwise.
3. Take a large and thick bottomed Dutch ovn and put bacon lardons in it of about 5 – 6 quart pot. Heat on meadium high till bacon turns brown. Lower the heat to medium now.
4. Cookt ill the bacon is render most of the fat and the lardons are crispy and brown. Take it out and set aside.
5. Take all but 1 tbsp of the bacon fat from the pan but don’t discard it in the since it’ll clog the drain. Keep it aside and let it solidify. Then take it out and discard or use it for any other purpose.
6. To the remaining bacon fat add chopped onion and celery. Cook for about 2 min on medium high and then lower the heat. Cover the pot and let it cool down slowly for 15 to 20 min.
7. When the potatoes are cool, then take it in a bowl and add cooked onion and celery mixture to it with a 6 cups of chicken stock.
8. Add a teaspoon of Kosher salt to simmer the heat for the soup. With a potato masher, mash the potatoes.
9. Cook the soup for 5 min and using a immersion blender, puree about half of the soup if you like slightly chunky soup or else puree the entire soup for smoother soup.
10. Stir in 2 to 4 tbsp heavy cream in the soup for creamier soup and more salt and pepper for better taste.
11. Pour into the bowls and garnish with grated cheddar cheese, chives, sour cream, and crumbled crispy bacon.