Baked Potato Soup

I had dinner with my good friend Susan and this little hot number was the soup du jour–Baked potato soup.  Now, it’s very unlikely that the bland old potato would ever entice the likes of my hot as a fire cracker taste buds (I really think I’ve ruined them) but ridiculous as it was I was smitten.     It seems that all I want these days is spice–the hotter, the better.  So to think another version of potato soup would make my list of dishes I must duplicate, really surprises me.

I honestly don’t know what I have against potatoes since their heritage is noteworthy and a bit heroic to some–providing food where none could be found.  They’re almost perfect in their contribution to America’s sustenance.  They store beautifully all winter and provide many essential vitamins.  Potatoes are inexpensive and a very filling vegetable.   I can remember stories granny told me while we sat around the dinner table.  She spoke of the many years they spent harvesting the late crop of potatoes in the fall and gathering baskets upon baskets until their arms ached.    Granny and Papa would store as much as they could buried in heaps of straw in the barns.  When they feared the temperatures would drop too far below freezing they’d dig holes below the frost line and place the potatoes in their frost free graves.   As you can imagine, little money caused them to muddle through many inches of snow to get to their sometimes one and only source of food for weeks.

My father produced a garden one year and potatoes flourished in our back yard.  We stored them in our basement and I can remember how exciting it was when mom sent me to our own private stash to supply the mess of fried potatoes she’d pair with pork chops.  There was something very comforting and secure in knowing no matter how unsteady the world became, we knew we had food for the winter.

I suppose I’m mending my love/hate relationship with the carb-laden vegetable.  And just now I realize a comforting taste that reminds me of home is just as pleasing as the spicy heat I seem to favor.

Baked Potato Soup

By janet@cafeontherun.net Published: December 15, 2011

• Yield: 6 Servings
• Prep: 10 mins

I had dinner with my good friend Susan and this little hot number was the soup du jour--Baked potato soup.  Now, it's very unlikely …

Ingredients

• 6 potatoes skin on
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 strips bacon
• 1 small onion chopped
• 3 T. butter
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 3 cups chicken stock home made or store bought
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 T. chicken bullion or paste
• 1/4 cup parsley chopped
• 3 T. flour
• 3 T. fresh rosemary leaves or dried
• 3 T. olive oil
• 4 T. sour cream optional
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
• 1 bunch of scallions chopped

Instructions

1. Spear the potatoes with a fork and drizzle a small bit of olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary leaves.
   
2. Wrap the potatoes in foil and bake for 40 minutes in the oven. Or you could wrap them in saran wrap and microwave for 10 minutes on high.
   
3. While the potatoes are baking, in a large stock pan drizzle 3 T. of olive oil and 3 T. butter. Saute' the garlic, onions, oregano, bay leaves, and bacon for 4 to 5 minutes. Add. the chicken paste. Stir. Add the flour and mix. Add the chicken stock and cream. Stir. Allow to thicken only takes a few minutes.
   
4. Rough chop the baked potatoes with skin on and add to the soup mixture. Stir, top with cheddar cheese, scallions, parsley and sour cream and serve.
   

• Cuisine: American
• Course: Soup
• Skill Level: Easy