Jan 26 / Chris

Broccoli & Potato Soup with Cheese and Bacon

After making Scalloped Potato Gratin for supper last night, I had a bunch of russet potatoes left over and didn’t want them to go to waste. I checked my refrigerator to see what else I had sitting around. Turns out that I had some heavy cream, chicken broth, and some chopped broccoli lying around. I stood there thinking about what I could make with nearly a dozen potatoes and I figured the easiest way to get rid of all of those potatoes was to make a soup.

Ingredients
4 Cups Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
2 Cups Heavy Cream
10 Russet Potatoes Cubed into 1/2 Pieces
18 oz. Chopped Broccoli
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese
1 Large Onion
2 Large Cloves of Minced Garlic
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Pepper
1 Tbsp. Salt
2 Sprigs of Thyme
12 Strips of Bacon Cubed into 1/2 Pieces

Steps
The amount of ingredients I used in this recipe was enough to make a large pot full that served about 8-10 people. So if you’re making this for just a few people, feel free to reduce the amount that’s listed.

Start by heating up 2 Tbsp. of Olive oil in a large pot. Season the onion and garlic with a large pinch of salt and pepper, then let the onions sweat over medium heat for about 5 minutes just till they’re translucent. Next add the chicken broth, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and the sprigs of thyme into the pot, turn the heat up to high and bring it to a slight boil. Now add the potatoes into the pot, season with a little more salt and pepper then bring it back to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover it and let it simmer for about 45 minutes or until the soup has thickened up and the potatoes are tender. Make sure you are stirring occasionally.

At about the 20 minute mark, add the chopped broccoli and about 2 cups of cheddar cheese, then let it simmer for another 25 minutes. While the soup is finishing up, cook the bacon in a pan until they’re nice and crispy. This will take about 8 minutes. Once the bacon is done cooking, transfer them onto a plate with a napkin. After the 45 minutes are up, give the soup a taste, and give it a little more seasoning if needed. Also feel free to add a little more cheese if you like. Ladle a few scoops of the soup into the bowl, top it with some cheddar cheese, bacon, and you’ve got yourself a nice hearty soup.