Baked Potato Soup

Posted: December 8th, 2010 | Filed under: Entree | Tags: , , , | 3 Comments »

Now as most of you know, I married a picky eater. And part of that pickiness means that he doesn’t generally like eating soup — thats right, he doesn’t like to eat the soup, he likes to dip things in the soup (like sandwiches, or chips, or little toasts). But there are two soups that he really likes. One being the Bennigan’s Ultimate Baked Potato Soup. Now Bennigan’s closed most of their locations near us. So I went on a mission to recreate it, and according to Ryan — this soup matched up to his expectations. I like serving this with cheese, fresh chives, and crumbled bacon on top little mini toasts for dipping on a cold night.

Baked Potato Soup

3 lb all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch cubes

2 tbsp  butter

1 c finely chopped yellow onions

3 tablespoons  minced garlic

1 can (14 1/2 oz) chicken broth

2 c whole milk

1 c heavy whipping cream

5 pieces thick cut bacon, baked until crsip, and crumbled

(use two slices for the topping, use three slices crumbled in the soup)

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp pepper

TOPPINGS: shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon & fresh chopped chives

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the potatoes until soft and cooked all the way through. Drain and set aside. Melt butter in a 4 to 6 quart pot over medium low heat. Stir in onions and garlic, cover and cook 10 minutes until soft, but not brown. Add 2/3 of the potatoes and mash with a potato masher. Add broth, milk, heavy cream, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return to pot and add bacon reserved for soup. Season to taste before serving.  Sprinkle each serving with toppings and serve with little toasts.