Ugggg… quarantine and cold weather. Not a good combination unless you add Creamy Potato Leek & Bacon Soup, then the world looks, smells, and even tastes brighter. Is that even possible? This soup is so delicious and easy. Everyone has potatoes, right? Let’s do something miraculous with them. Combine them with bacon and a fresh leek you’ve changed the world you live in. Ok, ok, well, I’m trying.
Since we’ve been traveling back and forth to the Black Forest to check on our new home being built, we stop at the farm where they sell fresh shredded smoked bacon. It’s AMAZING and so delicious in scrambled eggs, quiche, homemade flammkuchen, and more. I always buy 4 packs and put them in the freezer. We had just returned from our 3-month boating the canals and had nothing but a carton of almond milk, potatoes, a dying leek from our trip, some frozen veggies, and my frozen bacon. I set to work, and this one is a keeper and a repeater for sure. It just brightens your day!
Creamy Potato Leek & Bacon Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup diced organic bacon (smokey bacon is amazing)
- 3 Tbsp of olive oil (only if using organic bacon it tends to have less fat)
- 2 garlic cloves smashed/pressed
- 1/2 tsp celery seeds
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 ground nutmeg
- 10 small or 5 medium/large potatoes diced in 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 leek
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt
- 2 Tbsp of organic butter
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups almond milk
- Optional:
- To thicken the soup mix 1 Tbsp of gluten-free flour or 1 Tbsp of potato starch in 3 Tbsp of cold water.
- 2 cups mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, etc.)
Directions
- Step 1 Wash and dice potatoes into 1-inch pieces. I used the white small boiling potatoes and left the skin on. If you’re using medium/larger potatoes, you might want to peel the skin off before dicing.
- Step 2 In a medium saucepan on low fry, the 1/2 cup of diced bacon (Organic bacon has less fat, so you might want to add the olive oil.). Stir until bacon is cooked. Reserve a couple of tablespoons for garnish.
- Step 3 Add garlic, celery seasoning, white pepper, nutmeg, salt, and sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Step 4 Dice the leek from both ends, creating 2/3 cup of the white end and 1/3 cup of the green end. About a cup total. Add this to the soup. Slice up a bit more for garnish and set aside.
- Step 5 Add the diced potatoes and give it a nice stir to incorporate all the yummy flavors. Add the chicken broth and the almond milk to the saucepan and still. Set the stove to medium, and once it starts to boil, turn to medium/low, just to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring it a couple of times to make sure the potatoes don’t stick to the bottom.
- Step 6 After 20 minutes, check and make sure the potatoes are soft. I like chunks of potato in my soup, and my husband likes it creamy, so I use my immersion blender and puree the soup leaving small potato chunks while creaming most of them! This process also helps to thicken the soup. Another option for making thicker soup is adding a heaping tablespoon of gluten-free flour or potato flour to 3 tablespoons of very cold water and stir until it is really smooth. Slowly pour it into the soup as you use your immersion blender. It’s such a savory soup any way you cook it. The above suggestions are really only suggestions. Either way, it’s fantastic.
- Step 7 Once the soup is pureed, add the butter. This adds a warm buttery finish! If you add diced mixed vegetables, add them now and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked to your liking.
- Step 8 Ladle the amazingly delicious soup up. Add your garnish of bacon and leeks and enjoy it!
I'm Melinda Stevens and living the life of a beach bum was inevitable since my father was a lifeguard for the city of Los Angeles. My memories of growing up on John Street in Manhattan Beach, California were filled with joy, excitement and adventures; until my world, as I knew it, fell apart when we moved to Del Mar, California. My father was offered the position as Captain of the lifeguards and we started the slow migration to the small deserted stretch of beach in 1963. At twelve years old, this seemed like the end of my life. Remember, I’m writing with clear hindsight now, ok somewhat clearer… Little did I know this would be the beginning of a new journey and give a bit more clarity to many of the events that led me to this new cooking adventure.
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