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Preheat oven to 350°. Wash and dry potatoes, poke with a fork, and bake for 1
hour and 15 minutes until soft. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 1 hour
to speed up the cooling. Remove the skins and coarsely chop the potatoes. Set
aside. Finely chop the bacon and fry until crispy. Drain the bacon on paper
toweling and set aside. Let the milk come to room temperature. Place 1½ Cups
of chopped potatoes into a blender. Blend or mash with a little water to make the
potatoes thin, yet smooth and creamy. In a large, heavy pot, melt the margarine
or butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until they are soft and
translucent, about 10 minutes. In a separate pan, heat the chicken broth to
boiling. Using a wooden spoon, gradually mix the flour into the onion mixture.
Continue stirring mixture for 3 minutes. Do not brown. While stirring the mixture,
slowly add the rest of the chicken broth to the onion mixture. Next, add the potato
puree. Mix well. Lower the heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Stir often to
avoid scorching on the bottom. Add milk, PARSLEY, THYME, CAYENNE, salt, PEPPER,
and the remaining chopped potatoes. Cover and simmer another 30 minutes, stirring
often. If soup is too thick, thin with more milk. Add ¾ of the crisp bacon and
mix well. Serve garnished with the remaining bacon, cheddar cheese, and CHIVES,
if desired.
Serves: 10-12
Prep. time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
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