Ultra Creamy Bacon Leek and Potato Soup
The key to a silky and creamy bacon potato soup comes from leeks. You won't miss the heavy starchiness typically found in potato soup recipes nor will you miss the cream...because there isn't any.
Servings 6
Ingredients
Garnish
- 4 slices thick cut bacon diced
- Sliced green onions
Soup ingredients
- 2 T butter
- 2 lbs leeks about 3, thoroughly cleaned to remove any sand, light green and white parts chopped
- 1 shallot peeled and sliced thin
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme whole
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 Honeycrisp apple peeled, cored and diced
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 1 T chicken soup base
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, cook the bacon until crispy. about 6 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.4 slices thick cut bacon
- Stir the butter into the bacon drippings and melt.2 T butter
- Add the leeks and shallot into the butter along with the seasonings and stir a bit before adding in the garlic. Cook a minute or so until fragrant.2 lbs leeks, 1 shallot, 2 cloves garlic, 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- Pour in the white wine and cook for 2 minutes.½ cup white wine
- Toss the potatoes and apple with the leeks and cover the pot. Lower the heat to low and cook until the potatoes soften a bit about 8 minutes.2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, 1 Honeycrisp apple
- Pour in the chicken stock and the chicken soup base. Add in the bay leaf.2 quarts chicken stock, 1 T chicken soup base, 1 bay leaf
- Simmer for about 25-30 minutes or so until the potatoes are super tender. Cover the pot if the soup thickens too much.
- Remove the bay leaf and thyme stems. In batches, add ladlefuls of soup to a high speed blender until half full. Cover the blender but remove the blender “plug”. Place a clean, folded dish towel over the hole in the middle and turn the blender on low. Pulse until smooth. Pour the soup into the same pot (rinsed) or a new pot. Repeat until all the soup has been pureed.
- Serve in bowls with a garnish of diced crispy bacon and green onions.Sliced green onions
Notes
Test kitchen notes:
- Add the thyme sprigs into the soup and let the leaves fall away as the soup simmers.
- Remove the sprigs before blending the soup.
