Sunday Soupday: Creamy Potato

Now that I've finally settled in, with the family away at a Cubs game, and with my bank account slowly disappearing, today seemed like the perfect day to continue my tradition of Soup Sunday. Living in a new place is exciting for me; I like learning where places are, how to get around, the transit system, the best places to eat, to shop, and to drink. Making mistakes and being familiar with failure is humbling but every once in a while I just miss my friends and places in Iowa City. So for this edition of Soup Sunday I thought a comforting soup full of cream, butter, bacon, and carbs was only necessary for a day spent alone in the apartment. 


To prep this soup, I cube 5 medium to large sized russet potatoes and boil them til soft. I save 3 of the potatoes for chunks to put in the soup and I shock those with cold water to stop them from cooking when added to the soup. With the other 2 potatoes, I mash them up with a little bit of broth til they are a mashed potato consistency. This will be added to the soup later to serve as a thickener for the broth. 


To start off with, a medium sized onion, chopped, and about a cup of sliced carrots thrown into a soup pot with around 6 tablespoons of butter at medium heat. After a few minutes, I also toss in about 4 cloves of minced garlic and 4 sliced green onions. Finally to this mixture, I add around a tablespoon of fresh thyme, a bay leaf, and however much bacon you like. So like, a lot of bacon right, and then I let it all cook for a few minutes. After the bacon is cooked, I added 6 tablespoons of flour, or the equivalent to how much butter you put in earlier. After the flour is cooked for a few minutes, I add 4-6 cups of chicken broth, depending upon how much broth you like in your soup. Once the broth is all in, I add 2 cans of corn, and the mashed potatoes from earlier. Once those potatoes are melted into the chicken broth, then I will add the potato chunks. Then I add the magic ingredient, a pint of half and half, so that it is good for me. I also toss in a few handfuls of cheddar cheese, but not a lot because I don't go crazy for it. I might add some seasoning salt after this to taste but for the most part all that's left to do is cover the pot and let it simmer for about an hour until it is ready to eat. To garnish, I chopped up a slice of bacon and some more green onion and sprinkled it on top. You could also add more cheese here if you like. With a beer, a warm puppy, and The Rock on TV, my lazy Sunday is better than yours.