Steph’s Bacon & Potato Soup

My dear friend Stephanie held an amazing women's retreat last fall and she created such a welcoming and warm space for a group of women to rest, reflect, and retreat. She provided everything, including all the amazing food, one being this incredible soup! 

you’ll need:

8 strips bacon 

1/2 medium onion chopped small

3 sticks celery chopped small

2 medium carrots peeled & chopped small

2 cloves garlic minced

1/4 cup flour

4 cups chicken broth or stock

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups frozen corn

3 large Russet potatoes peeled & diced

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Salt & pepper to taste

1. Prep your bacon (I use kitchen shears to make cutting it up easy) and add it to a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook until crispy (about 10 minutes).

2. Once the bacon is crispy, take it out of the pot and remove to a paper towel lined plate. Leave about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pot (I usually leave most of it)

3. Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes.

4. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

5. Stir in the flour and cook for about a minute, stirring nearly constantly.

6. Add in the chicken broth and give it a good stir to ensure the flour has dissolved and the brown bits are scraped up from the bottom of the pot. 

7. Add in the cream, corn, potatoes, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, and bacon. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat to a rapid simmer so it's gently boiling. Cover the pot so the lid is slightly ajar.

8. Cook until the potatoes are tender (about 15-20 minutes). Stir every so often. The soup will thicken up more the longer you cook it.

9. Season the soup with salt & pepper as needed.