The Ultimate Potato Soup
- One cup of all Natural Smoked Ham – chopped or one pound of uncured bacon – fried to a crisp
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 5-6 cups organic gluten free chicken stock (or enough to cover potatoes)
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose gluten-free flour
- 1 cup Land ‘O’ Lakes lowfat 1/2 and 1/2 or Carnation fat free evaporated milk
- 1/2 tsp dried dill or 1 tsp fresh
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 slices American cheese
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp fresh black pepper
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
In a dutch oven, cook the ham with the 1/4 cup butter, onion, carrots, and celery until carrots are tender (if using bacon, fry the bacon first). Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the cubed potatoes and toss to coat. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Add enough chicken stock to cover the potatoes, (I like to add more as it makes more soup). Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender.
In a separate small saucepan, melt the 3 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook stirring constantly, for 1-2 min. Whisk in the 1/2 and 1/2 (or evaporated milk), dill, and parsley. Bring the cream mixture to a boil, and cook stirring constantly until thickened. Slowly whisk or stir the cream mixture into the potato mixture.
- Here’s where you decide how chunky or creamy you want your soup:
- If you like it chunkier, take out some of the potato and ham chunks and set aside. Continue to the puree step and add back when done.
- If you like it creamier, continue with the puree step
Puree about 1/2 the soup with an immersion blender (hand-held blender). Be careful not to puree all of the potatoes. Add the two slices of cheese (I use American cheese slices because they melt so well – not greasy like cheddar can be), salt and pepper, and Parmesan. Garnish with sprinkles of cheese, parsley, and croutons or serve with crusty bread.
