Creamy Potato Soup with Bacon Vinaigrette Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Bacon

by: OB Cookie

April17,2010

4

9 Ratings

  • Serves 6

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

I wrote this recipe when I was having a down day. Simmering the stock all day lifted my spirits. - OB Cookie —OB Cookie

Test Kitchen Notes

No wonder this recipe cheered OB Cookie up on a rough day. The soup itself is a bowl of comfort -- thick, creamy, and full of tang, and (best of all) made mostly from things that are probably sitting in your fridge right now. But the simple bacon and scallion vinaigrette really brings the dish to life. You might be skeptical, as we were, about not including some of the bacon fat in the dressing, but trust us -- this keeps the whole thing bright and perky. Of course, for you gluttons out there, it's always an option. - A&M —The Editors

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • For the Soup
  • 1 tablespoonbutter
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 1 large carrot diced
  • 1 rib celery diced
  • 3 cloves garlic diced
  • 1 sprigrosemary chopped
  • 1 teaspoonsalt
  • 6 medium Russet potatoes (about 2 lbs.) peeled and diced into 1" cubes
  • 7 cupschicken stock or water
  • 1 cuplow fat sour cream
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • For vinaigrette
  • 4 piecesthick cut bacon
  • 3 green onions finely sliced
  • 3 tablespoonswhite wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoonsolive oil
  • pinch salt
Directions
  1. Add butter to large pot on medium high heat and melt
  2. Add carrot, onion, celery, garlic, rosemary and salt. Saute veggies until onions are soft, about 10 minutes.
  3. Add potatoes and stock. Cook on medium high until potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes
  4. Turn off heat, add sour cream and puree in blender or with immersion blender
  5. To make vinaigrette, cook bacon until crispy on medium high heat. Drain fat onto paper town and chop into small pieces.
  6. To small bowl stir onions, bacon, vinegar, salt. Add oil and put 1 tbsp of vinaigrette on top of each bowl of soup.

Tags:

  • Salad Dressing
  • Soup
  • American
  • Carrot
  • Celery
  • Sour Cream
  • Pork
  • Bacon
  • Potato
  • Vinegar
  • Entree
Contest Entries

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Robert Beauregard

  • robin lewis

  • Ryan Cooper

  • pattyrat

  • Jennifer Sheridan Moss

60 Reviews

Nde416 January 16, 2024

My family loves this potato soup. It is a different twist on potato soup, I like to call it my bougie potato soup recipe. My kids do not eat bacon so I substitute Morning Star Stripples. Its a hit every time.

Robert B. November 24, 2017

I made this tonight exactly as directed by my new hero: OB Cookie. The soup is creamy, silky and complex. The bacon vinaigrette provides a bright highlight because of the vinegar, but then the bacon adds a salty, umami kick. Thank you OB Cookie!

robin L. May 5, 2017

It's always good when a soup can 'go to eleven'! 8^) Did you just omit the sour cream?

Ryan C. May 5, 2017

This soup is the bombity bomb bomb. My wife and I be slurpin it all the time! She doesn't dig on swine, but I love it. And just when you think the soup is a 10, you add the vinegarette and you're like WOAHHHH, ELEVEN!!!!! But, also like... sour cream... no thanks. SO GOOD THOUGH!!

pattyrat March 14, 2017

I made this soup yesterday for the first time, so delicious! It hit the spot on a dreary day. The vinaigrette definitely makes it special, and I plan to try that on a spinach salad as well. I had to make a couple of substitutions to the soup because I didn't have all of the ingredients on hand - I only had 1/2 cup of sour cream so added 1/2 cup of heavy cream, and I used celery salt in place of the regular salt since I had no celery, and used dried rosemary. I look forward to making it again exactly as written.

Jennifer S. February 20, 2017

I didn't have enough potatoes so I added some parsnips, which gave it a nice earthy taste. Also used a few picked shallots in place of the green onions. Yummy.

susan March 9, 2016

Great recipe, I cooked crispy bacon for my daughter and sprinkled smoked paprika on mine

claudia January 5, 2016

This is just delicious! The vinaigrette makes the soup. I have a question.... anyone know if this will freeze well? We are two in my house and I made a full recipe. I would like to freeze and reheat with a fresh batch of vinaigrette. Thoughts anyone?

Ann June 13, 2015

I loved the flavor of this soup. It tasted of pure goodness. My market was out of low fat sour cream, so I used the full fat version and added additional stock because it was way too thick. Unlike everyone else, though, the vinaigrette just didn't work for me. I really wanted it too and was so excited to make it after all the thumbs up from other reviewers. Although delicious alone, I do think the soup could have benefitted from some interesting addition, but something was missing from that particular choice.

Dimply D. June 11, 2015

Everything I want in a soup. Delicious, easy and something my children will also eat! Thanks for the recipe. I'll be making this forever.

Adelucchi May 5, 2015

Made this to enjoy during a cool evening. Came out great! Substituted Greek yogurt for sour cream. Loved the tang! Used red potatoes from my CSA box. Plan to serve to a group of people gathering for a meeting tonight. Perfect for Cinco de Mayo since the potato originated in Mexico! Thanks for the wonderful recipe.

Dianne J. May 4, 2015

Excellent soup. I made it with chicken broth. I would suggest a few more potatoes than called for, and go easy on the rosemary. It thickens a lot overnight, so I'd plan to make it a day ahead.

Meaney C. October 19, 2014

Made this soup for second time. Simply amazing recipe. So easy and so good. I swapped homemade pancetta for the bacon and a drizzle of the pancetta drippings over top.

Lynn March 30, 2014

This is the first potato soup that I love. I also love it because any well supplied kitchen will have all the necessary ingredients. I substituted a little sharp cheddar on top and it was delish! KUDOS to the creator!

pat A. March 17, 2014

Love this recipe-easy to make. After i cooked the bacon, I put the veggies in the bacon fat to soften.-yummy! Made for St. Paddy's Day!

Victoria January 29, 2014

I have all these things! Totally making this for dinner tomorrow, I can't wait :)

robin L. January 18, 2014

This is so delicious, thank you! I realized, toward the end of the cooking, that I didn't have the green onion that I thought I had. I chopped up more rosemary instead. Delicious soup, very rustic and comfy. Thank you! (I did use organic baby red potatoes b/c I didn't have russet, but still, I don't think I messed up your lovely recipe. Thanks again.)

Ashley M. November 19, 2013

Just made this - cannot express how incredibly delicious it was. My boyfriend said it was hands-down the best potato soup he's ever had. The bacon vinaigrette is a MUST if you're making it. Also, what I did, to save on having to clean another pan, was cook the bacon first in my soup pot, remove it to drain and use that bacon fat - instead of butter - to saute my veggies in.

oinky November 7, 2013

A beautiful soup, which itself is humble and comforting. The vinagrette elevates it to something wonderful. I made this after a long, blue, over-worked day- it truly is a bummer cure-all! Works with greek yogurt as a sour cream sub :)

LeeLeeBee July 23, 2013

This recipe is fantastic, and perfect for a cold and dreary winter day here in Australia. The only change I would make is to make a batch and a half of the vinaigrette; it was so good, we ran out before finishing the rest of the soup!

LeeLeeBee July 23, 2013

I forgot to mention that Australian sour cream is really thick, so I only used a half cup.

Creamy Potato Soup with Bacon Vinaigrette Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Why isn't my potato soup creamy? ›

Why isn't my potato soup creamy? Most creamy soups require you to add dairy of some sort into it. If you're finding your soup is too thin adding milk, add in cream instead, or whole milk.

How do you thicken potato bacon soup? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top.

Does cream cheese thicken up potato soup? ›

It might be tempting to add sour cream or softened cream cheese to help thicken the soup, but these dairy products only work in certain circ*mstances. You must blend cream cheese or sour cream, either with an immersion blender or a full-size blender, for it to thicken a soup.

What makes potato soup gummy? ›

It is important that the potatoes not be too finely chopped before cooking. If they are, too much starch will be released into the broth and a gummy texture will result. An unpleasant consistency can also result from the pureeing of the cooked soup.

How can I make my soup more creamy? ›

The best options for thickening soup are cream or half and half. Plain yogurt or even freshly grated cheese works well and adds an extra layer of tangy, salty flavor. Add the dairy at the end and avoid bringing the soup to a boil since this can cause yogurt, cheese, or cream to split.

What is the best thickening agent for potato soup? ›

Cornstarch is not the only thickening agent you can use. Other alternatives include flour, arrowroot powder, instant mashed potatoes, or even pureed vegetables like cauliflower or cooked oats. Each of these options will add thickness to your soup while imparting its own unique taste and texture.

Can I add milk to soup to make it creamy? ›

Milk or Half-and-Half: This is the other magical ingredient that turns your homemade chicken noodle soup into the creamiest soup ever. Use 1 cup of whole milk or 1 cup of half-and-half.

Can you use sour cream to thicken potato soup? ›

Another option for thickening soup is by using dairy like sour cream or yogurt. Start with a small dollop and stir before checking the consistency and adding more. We recommend using plain yogurt so you don't alter the taste of the soup. You can also use cream if you prefer.

Can you use instant mashed potatoes to thicken potato soup? ›

Honestly, if you just stir in a little instant mash, like Smash, your soup will thicken up in no time at all. Now, you may end up needing more than a spoonful, but it's best to add a little at a time, because remember, you can always add more of it, but you can't take it away.

Why did Panera stop selling potato soup? ›

Although the dish was scrapped due to declining popularity, its biggest fans have not stopped talking about it online. One disappointed fan wrote one on Twitter this week: “I was today years old when I found out Panera discontinued their potato soup.

Why won't my cream cheese melt in my potato soup? ›

Cheese is a particularly tricky addition to soups because if the temperature of the soup is too hot or too cold, the cheese won't melt properly and will start to clump. Temperatures over 150 degrees Fahrenheit will cause the cheese to release liquid too fast as a result of broken protein bonds.

What do I do if my potato soup is too thin? ›

To thicken potato soup without creating lumps, you can use a roux made of equal parts butter and flour. Melt the butter in a separate pan, add the flour, and whisk until smooth. Slowly whisk the roux into the soup, and let it simmer until thickened.

How do you doctor up bland potato soup? ›

Your potato soup is bland? Try adding a little more salt. That's usually the answer to any issue of blandness, no matter the recipe in question. A basic Appalachian style potato soup uses only a handful of simple ingredients, leaning on milk and water and often bouillon to create the brothy soup base.

Should I cook potatoes before adding to soup? ›

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the potatoes, and cook for 5-10 minutes until partially tender. Drain and then add them to your simmering soup for finishing. 3. Roasting: For a richer flavor and slightly crispy texture, try roasting the potatoes before adding them to the soup.

Why did my potato soup turn brown? ›

It looks as though some of your potatoes might have got a bit scorched. Did you fry them off before adding the liquid? The colour from the browned potatoes could be what is turning it brown.

How do you fix bland potato soup? ›

Your potato soup is bland? Try adding a little more salt. That's usually the answer to any issue of blandness, no matter the recipe in question. A basic Appalachian style potato soup uses only a handful of simple ingredients, leaning on milk and water and often bouillon to create the brothy soup base.

Why aren't my potatoes getting soft in my potato soup? ›

It's best to use fresh, firm potatoes. Acidic Ingredients: If your soup contained highly acidic ingredients (e.g., tomatoes), it could have affected the texture of the potatoes. Acidic ingredients can slow down the softening process of potatoes.

Why is my potato soup mushy? ›

Like many of us chefs and home cooks, potatoes break down when overworked in the kitchen. While it might seem like merciless mashing would lead to a smoother soup, it actually has the opposite effect, creating a base that's more like gluey gunk.

Why does my potato soup look grainy? ›

So what do you do if you've made the mistake of using starchy potatoes in your soup? One trick to make your potato soup a little less grainy is to add some form of dairy –- cream, milk, or even cheese. Because dairy is generally creamy in texture, that characteristic will carry over into your soup. Crisis averted.

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