Ahhh, this soup. This soup has turned my, “soups are not a main course!” husband into a, “Hey, I could do that creamy potato soup in bread bowls for dinner,” kind of guy. It’s thick and creamy, filling and comforting.
One day my husband stopped at a little gas station to get gas and ended up buying a cup of potato soup that they made and sold. He shared it with me because he thought it was really good, and I guess that’s what you do when you find something you like. Personally, I guard good food like a grizzly bear, but that’s just me. I wasn’t really in the mood for soup then, but I obliged him and learned that he wasn’t really being generous – he wanted me to replicate the soup and if I didn’t try it, I wouldn’t know what flavor he wanted. Gotcha.
I searched the web for a recipe that I thought might get me close, and figured I’d tweak it if need be. It has taken a few tries, but eventually I did hit the right chords of flavor and it is a favorite filling, and satisfying soup. I’m not sure if trying to replicate a gas station soup is really something to be proud of, but hey… It’s delicious.
I changed the original recipe so much that it really doesn’t do me much good to give credit here because I think I have changed everything. I encourage you to make your own changes, too. The seasonings are kind of eyeballed, so I guessed on measurements. This recipe made enough to feed my family of 9 with enough for another meal, so if you have a smaller family you can safely halve it. Without further commentary, I give to you:
Creamy Loaded Potato Soup
Ingredients:
- 10-12 medium baking potatoes, peeled and diced into bite sized bits
- 4-6 carrots, minced or small dice
- 3-5 stalks celery, minced or small dice
- 8 cups of chicken broth
- 1lb bacon
- 1 chicken breast, cut into small bites (optional – I add it to give it more “Uumpf”)
- 2 onions, small dice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1/2 c flour
- 4c heavy cream
Method:
- Place prepared potatoes, carrots and celery in a heavy bottomed stock pot. Add chicken broth and bring contents to a boil. Gently boil the vegetable until soft.
- Meanwhile, slice your bacon into small strips and cook in a skillet until browned and cooked. Remove bacon, set aside.
- Add chicken to the skillet the bacon was cooked in. Brown the chicken and cook until done throughout. Remove chicken, set aside.
- Add onion to the same skillet the bacon and chicken was cooked in. If your bacon was as fatty as mine, there will still be fat. If not, add a tablespoon of butter. Saute the onion until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant – about 30 seconds. Pour all of the onion and garlic goodness into the potato soup. Use a spatula and get all the good stuff.
- Add seasonings, chicken, and half of the bacon. The other half can be used as a topping.
- Check your potatoes and carrots. If they are soft, move on. If they are not, continue cooking at a low boil until they are soft.
- Remove about a cup of liquid from the soup pot and whisk in the flour. You are creating a paste that will thicken the soup. Once your potatoes and carrots are cooked and soft, add the paste. Stir it around to combine, bring the liquid back up to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Add the heavy cream and stir well to combine. Reheat the soup back up to a simmer. It should be smooth, creamy and thickened.
This soup can be topped with cheddar cheese, remaining bacon, green onions, chives, whatever suits your fancy. It is very filling in a bread bowl.
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