Fall is here, but we are still having seriously warm weather, like Indian Summer warm weather, but I don’t care. I WANT SOUP!
LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP
2 medium potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
1 Sweet Vidalia onion, diced
1 small red pepper, roasted, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups mashed potato flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon
3 green onions, chopped (green part only)
sour cream (optional)
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Bake potatoes one hour or until cooked through.
- Remove them from the oven to cool.
- Roast red pepper until singed on all sides.
- Set aside to cool.
- As the potatoes and pepper cool, start soup by melting butter in a large saucepan.
- Sauté onion until light brown.
- Add the flour to the onions and stir to make a roux.
- Add stock, water, cornstarch, potato flakes, and spices to the pot and bring to a slow boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- When potatoes are cool enough to touch, but still warm gently peel the skins away and discard.
- Do the same with the pepper.
- Chop potato into chunks about 1/2 inch in size.
- Chop pepper into pieces about 1/4 inch or smaller.
- Fold in the potato and pepper pieces to pan as well as the half and half and bring to a slow boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, until desired thickness.
- Ladle soup into bowls.
- Top with cheddar cheese, bacon and green onions.
- For a bit of complete decadence also add the sour cream.