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Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Source of Recipe

From "In the Kitchen with David" by David Venable


Recipe Introduction

"Since I love twice-baked potatoes so much, I got to thinking: What if I combined all my favorite ingredients—potatoes, Cheddar, sour cream, and bacon—into a creamy and scrumptious soup? And then I topped each serving with more of the same flavors? Voilà! It's perfection in a bowl. As a final touch, I sprinkle each serving with some freshly ground black peppercorns."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 medium baking potatoes
â—¦ 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ 6 cups milk
â—¦ 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded extra sharp Cheddar
â—¦ 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
â—¦ 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
â—¦ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
â—¦ 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
â—¦ ¾ cup chopped scallions (white and light green parts only)
â—¦ 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Pierce the potatoes several times with a fork. Bake the potatoes until they are tender, about 1 hour. Cool the potatoes and peel them. Cut three of the potatoes into medium dice; coarsely mash the remaining potato.

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook the mixture over medium heat until it is thick, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the diced and mashed potatoes, ¾ cup of the Cheddar, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir until the cheese melts, then remove the pot from the heat and stir in the sour cream and ½ cup of the scallions.

Return the pot to low heat and cook just until heated through (do not boil). Season the soup with salt and pepper, if necessary. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the remaining Cheddar and scallions, and the bacon. Garnish with some coarsely ground black pepper.

Makes 8 to 10 servings


• It's Better with a Little Butter:
Why do creamy soups taste so much creamier in restaurants? "The secret in restaurants is that we finish it with some butter," New York chef and restaurateur David Burke told me. "Melt a generous pat of butter into the soup just before serving. It coats the palate, gives you a nice aroma, and smoothes out the flavors."