Hearty creamy potato soup with bacon and green chilis. The perfect bowl of soup to serve for a holiday open house. Comforting, and supremely delicious with a hint of earthy spice from the green chilis. This potato soup will quickly become a family favorite for holidays, parties, and just cozy Friday nights next to a fire.
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Thick creamy potato soup, loaded with toppings would be my last meal request. For realz. I can't think of anything I love more than potatoes, sour cream, scallions, and bacon. Oh yes, I am here for this soup in all the ways.
The addition of green chilis brought my favorite meal to a new level. An extra kick of flavor, earthy balance, the slightest hint of heat, oh man if you haven't had potato soup with green chilis what are you waiting for?!?!
Ready to get cooking??
Ingredients you will need
- Potatoes – I used 4 large organic russet potatoes weighing 2.5 lbs. total. I chopped them into larger chunks (see below for why).
- Bacon – You will need 5 strips of applewood smoked bacon, I prefer organic animal products, but any bacon you like will work. A thicker sliced bacon will produce crunchier bits for topping. (For Vegetarian Version – eliminate bacon).
- Green Chilis – Green chilis are a pantry staple in my kitchen. They are the perfect addition to so many meals, adding a kick of deep earthy flavor with just a hint of spice (spice level of a 2 on a scale of 1-10). My preferred brand is Rio Luna Organic Peppers, they work with trusted growing partners who utilize key sustainability practices such as drip irrigation, recycling initiatives and crop rotation to cultivate the best possible peppers. Rio Luna Organic Peppers is part of the process from seed to packaging.
- Garlic, Onion, and Celery – A staple in just about every single soup recipe I make. This creates the perfect flavor base in just about any type of soup.
- Chicken Stock – You can substitute vegetable stock if you'd prefer.
- Sour Cream – This is the only dairy in this recipe. Sour cream adds the perfect amount of acid to the soup, perfectly cutting through the richness of the potatoes.
Toppings
- Scallions, Grated Pepper Jack Cheese, More Green Chilis, Black Pepper – You will also top your soup with the crumbles of bacon that you rendered to begin the soup. The more toppings the better in my opinion, but toppings are optional.
What are the best potatoes to use for potato soup?
I may be in the minority with my opinion here but I prefer organic russet potatoes (ideally purchased from a farmers market). Russet potatoes are starchier and often times not recommended for soup because they don't hold up as well as a waxy potato. I have tested this recipe using waxy potatoes and starchier potatoes and preferred the texture and taste of the russet. I also lightened this recipe a bit by eliminating the traditional heavy cream (and/or milk and flour). I puree half of the soup and then stir in sour cream for that thick creamy potato soup texture. This is where the russet potato really shines. When blended the starchier potatoes help to create a super thick creamy soup.
I do recommend cutting the potato into larger chunks, this helps the starchier potato not break down while still providing that perfect bite of potato that you are after.
I invited my sister and brother-in-law over next weekend to hang by the tree and share in some holiday spirit. Baby sis (who is in her mid-30's but will always be the baby) requested potato soup, and potato soup she will get!
I love the idea of creating simple holiday get-togethers with a hearty comforting soup that can be enjoyed while curled up on the sofa next to your twinkly Christmas tree. Of course, this is a soup that you can eat all year round but I am all about serving this for small holiday gatherings with a festive drink nearby and a maybe a crusty loaf of sourdough bread with thick spread salted butter.
Are you with me?
Visit the Rio Luna Organic Peppers site here for coupons to purchase at Kroger or Whole Foods.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Creamy Potato Soup with Bacon
Ingredients
- 5 slices thick cut applewood smoked bacon
- 1 tbsp (reserved) bacon fat
- 1 large onion 2 cups chopped
- 2 stalks celery 1 cup chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 4 large russet potatoes 5 cups diced, weighing 2.5 lbs.
- 4 ounces Rio Luna Organic Chopped Green Chilis reserve 2 tbsp for topping
- 5 cups organic chicken stock
- 1 cup sour cream
Toppings
- pepper jack cheese, grated
- scallions, sliced
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large soup pot over medium-high heat add diced bacon and cook until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a plate using a slotted spoon and reserve for topping the soup. Have a plate waiting with paper towel to help absorb any extra grease). Reserve one tablespoon of bacon fat in the stock pot, pour out additional bacon fat. (option: you can substitute butter in place of bacon fat).
- Add onion, celery, and garlic to soup pot and cook for 8 minutes until onions are translucent and celery is tender. Add salt, stir well to incorporate.
- Add potatoes, chilis, and chicken stock to pot, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Ladle half of the soup into a high speed blender and puree until smooth. Pour the pureed soup back into the pot and stir well to combine.
- Ladle 1 cup of liquid from the soup into a large bowl, add sour cream and whisk until creamy and no lumps remain. Pour contents into soup pot and stir well to incorporate.
- Taste to adjust seasoning (add additional salt and pepper if needed).
