Ree Drummond’s Perfect Potato Soup

Ree's Potato SoupLets just say Perfect Potato Soup by Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, warmed me right down to my toes and back up again! Normally its my better half that orders potato soup as the temperatures drops here in New England. He always ask if I want a taste, I politely decline…every time. I usually find it bland and boring. But this recipe peaked my interest and I love Ree Drummond! So the big guy was thrilled when the dinner menu was announced. Make no mistake, this is a dinner! Its a dinner if you eat an entire bowl of it…with a crusty piece of bread…and a slab of cold butter on said bread. It has super simple ingredients and slightly unconventional steps to making a typically snores-ville creamy soup like no other.

There is a reason its called “Perfect Potato Soup” Its a keeper and now a family favorite! Its starts with bacon but if are a “no meat” humanoid, skip it, it’ll be just fine. But if you love bacon like I do, rejoice, because its in two parts of this recipe. Its a basic sauté of bacon first, discard the bacon fat (keeping the bacon for later) but leave the residuals in the pan and use it to sauté the onion, celery, carrots. Add the peeled and diced potatoes then chicken broth (or veggie for the aforementioned humanoids) until the potatoes are soft. Remove 2/3 of the mixture, put in your blender…THEN…hold onto your hats…blend.

You DO NOT blend the whole pot! Crazy, I know right…I’ll wait until you calm down. Ok, lets proceed. Be careful blending hot liquids in the blender, don’t fill up your blender, do it in 2 or three batches. Pour creamy mixture back into your pot. You are left with a creamy potato soup added to a lovely potato & veggie soup. We’re not done yet, it gets better. To thicken, mix the flour and milk in a jar with a lid and shake enthusiastically, (I always have an empty Mrs. Fanning’s Pickle jar in my cabinet for just this purpose but any jar will do).

Now here comes the heavy, cream that is…I doubled the amount of heavy cream because I can and it was rich! I mean like Richard Branson rich! Season with cayenne pepper, garlic salt, fresh parsley, salt and pepper. Its all about personal taste at this point. So less of one, more of another depending you how you like it. Pour into a bowl for dinner or cup for a starter and top with freshly grated cheese (I used hot pepper jack & Ree uses pepperdew cheese) and the crumble the bacon from the beginning of this recipe. Congratulations! You now have a bowl of comfort and happiness that will truly delight! Its pure potato harmony in your mouth. It has texture and layers and a heavenly scent. Was is possible to be better the next day…it could have been because I was dreaming of it all night long. Make ahead for a fall soiree! Its a tastebud pleaser! Make this, thank me later.

Perfect Potato Soup

Serves 12-16
Meal type Carrots, Cayenne Pepper, Celery, Cheese, Chicken Broth, Pepper Jack Cheese, Potato
Season Fall, Winter

Ingredients

  • 6 slices Thin Bacon, Cut Into 1-inch Pieces (save bacon to crumble as a topping before serving)
  • 1 large vidalia onion diced
  • 3 whole Carrots, Scrubbed Clean And Diced
  • 3 stalks Celery, Diced
  • 6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 8 cups regular chicken broth
  • 3 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
  • 1 cup whole Milk
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
  • Freshly ground Black Pepper To Taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons Minced Fresh Parsley
  • Grated pepper jack cheese

Directions

1 Cook bacon in a soup pot over medium heat and cook until crisp and fat is rendered.
2 Remove the bacon and save for later.
3 Pour off most of the grease leaving a coating in the pot and add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook on medium-high heat.
4 Stir and cook for 5 minutes or so, add the diced potatoes.
5 Cook for 2 minutes, seasoning with salt, pepper.
6 Pour in the broth and bring it to a gentle boil.
7 Cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are starting to get tender.
8 Mix the flour and the milk in a jar with a lid and shake until blended, then pour into the soup and allow the soup to cook for another 5 minutes.
9 Stir. Remove 2/3 the soup and blend in a blender/food process until completely smooth. NOTE: If you use an immersion blender then remove 1/3 of the soup, veggies included and blend whats in the pot then until smooth. Pour back into the soup pot and stir to combine. Let it heat back up as you taste and add cayenne seasoning, garlic salt and adding more salt and pepper to taste.
10 Stir in cream, then stir in parsley.
11 Serve and garnish with freshly grated cheese and crisp, crumbled bacon.

 

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