Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Rainy days pretty much ensure that I will crave soup and will give me a thumbs up from Hubby which is much appreciated since he's not quite as big of a soup lover. A discussion with my college BFFs lead to the construction of this recipe...

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

2.5 lbs Russet potatoes, washed and cubed

2 stalks of celery

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic

EVOO

1/4 tsp Paprika

1/4 ts Cumin

1 tsp Thyme

4 Tbsp Butter

1 can evaporated milk

Salt and Pepper, to taste

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

2 or 3 green onions, sliced (for garnish)

6 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled (for garnish)

Sour cream (for garnish)

Shredded cheddar cheese (for garnish)

1. In the food processor, mince the celery, onion, and garlic together.
2. In a soup pot, saute together the celery, onion, and garlic in a little EVOO.
3. Add in potatoes and spices then cover with water.
4. Bring pot up to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese and evaporated milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Top with crumbled bacon, sour cream, green onion, and/or more cheese =)

Now the rating on this is a bit deceiving. I was a huge fan; however, Hubby was not. I will admit this was about 10xs better the second (third, etc.) day than right after making it even though I was skeptical about that with the cheese and milk situation. I ate about 3 bowls a day until it was gone and will definitely make it again and freeze it for lunches for myself this winter. I would say that the bacon really helps this out a lot...and I would not be sad at all to add more bacon, or even to attempt making the bacon in a skillet and use some of the drippings in the place of the olive oil to give the actual soup a bit of a boost.

As with most things in life, bacon makes it better =)