Ingredients
- 8 slices Bacon, chopped
- 2 large Yellow onions, diced
- 5 large Carrots, diced
- 5 stalks Celery, diced
- 7 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 large head Cauliflower, chopped into small florets
- 7 1/2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 7 1/2 cups Vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 1/2 cup All-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups Milk
- 2/3 cup Half-and-half
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
Cook the Bacon and Render the Fat
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the chopped bacon until it’s crispy.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the rendered fat in the skillet. Set the bacon aside for a garnish.
Sauté the Vegetables
Add one tablespoon of the reserved bacon fat to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook for ~10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are softened.
Add the minced garlic and a pinch of salt and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Simmer the Soup Base
Add the chopped cauliflower and potatoes to the pot with the vegetables. Pour in the vegetable broth, cover the pot, and bring it to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer until the potatoes and cauliflower are very tender.
Make a Roux for Creaminess
While the soup simmers, melt the butter in a separate small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute until it forms a thick paste.
This is a roux, which will thicken the soup and give it a creamy texture without heavy cream.
Slowly whisk in the milk until the mixture is smooth, thick, and bubbly. Remove it from the heat.
Blend and Finish the Soup
Pour the roux into the pot with the softened vegetables and stir to combine.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup directly in the pot until it reaches your desired consistency.
Alternatively, you can carefully transfer the soup in batches to a regular blender.
Stir in the half-and-half and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the soup hot, garnished with the crispy bacon bits, shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped green onions.
Creamy Loaded Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 8 slices Bacon chopped
- 2 large Yellow onions diced
- 5 large Carrots diced
- 5 stalks Celery diced
- 7 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 large head Cauliflower chopped into small florets
- 7 1/2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and chopped
- 7 1/2 cups Vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 1/2 cup All-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups Milk
- 2/3 cup Half-and-half
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper freshly ground, to taste
Instructions
- Cook bacon until crispy in large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove bacon with slotted spoon, reserve fat.
- Heat 1 tablespoon bacon fat in large pot over medium heat. Sauté onions, carrots, and celery for 10-15 minutes until soft.
- Add garlic and pinch of salt, cook 1 minute.
- Add cauliflower, potatoes, and vegetable broth. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer until vegetables are tender.
- Melt butter in separate saucepan. Whisk in flour, cook 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk until thick and bubbly.
- Pour roux into soup pot, stir to combine.
- Blend soup with immersion blender until smooth.
- Stir in half-and-half, season with salt and pepper.
- Serve hot topped with reserved bacon.
