One of the great things about the change in seasons is the change in seasonal foods. And for fall, soup may just be the perfect one-dish meal. The trick is to find a soup that has it all for a complete meal. It needs to be hearty with plenty of protein, not too much fat and is has to taste delicious. Just like this new recipe for Baked Potato Bacon Cheddar Soup.
I love this soup because the whole family loved it and when you pair it with a green salad (toss in some dried cranberries or cherries for something different) it is a complete meal. And now that fall sports and activities are going full tilt, it is wonderful to have something you can make ahead of time and travels well in a thermos for those evenings on the go (so long, takeout!).
Baked Potato Bacon Cheddar Soup
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
- 3 medium baking potatoes, about ¾ lbs. each
- 4 slices thick cut bacon
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups 1% milk
- 8 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Directions:
- Scrub outsides of potatoes. Bake 2 of the medium potatoes in oven until cooked but still firm. Peel and chop into 1/2″ cubes the remaining small potato, set aside.
- Chop 4 slices bacon into 1/4″ pieces. Cook over moderate high heat in large soup pain, stirring frequently, until bacon is brown and crispy. Remove bacon from pan, pour off all but 1 TBSP of the bacon grease. To the pot, add the diced onion and chopped potato. Cook until onion is soft, stirring frequently. Add broth to pan, turn heat to low, cover and cook about 20 minutes or until potato is very soft.
- Place contents of pot into blender, add 1 TBSP of the cooked bacon and puree until very smooth. Put back into pot. When potatoes are baked, cut into 1/2″ pieces, add these to pot, along with the rest of the bacon pieces, milk, cheese, salt and pepper. Heat through but do not boil.
Per serving: 290 calories, 13g fat, 8g sat fat, 600mg sodium, 27g carb, 2g fiber, 15g protein, 35% calcium
