Description
Hearty Paula Deen potato soup delivers creamy comfort with rich, indulgent flavors. Bacon crumbles and cheese elevate this classic southern recipe that you’ll savor down to the last warming spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 lbs (1.8 kg) russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 64 fl oz (1.9 L) chicken broth
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tbsps all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- Sliced green onion (for garnish)
- Shredded cheddar cheese (for garnish)
Instructions
- Bacon Preparation: Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp and golden. Remove bacon pieces, reserving the drippings in the pot.
- Aromatics Development: Sauté chopped onions in bacon fat until translucent and soft, creating a flavor foundation for the soup.
- Roux Formation: Dust flour over the onions, stirring continuously to develop a smooth base that will naturally thicken the soup’s consistency and enhance its depth.
- Liquid Integration: Pour chicken broth into the pot, whisking to create a uniform mixture. Add diced potatoes and bring to a vigorous boil, allowing the potatoes to begin breaking down and releasing their starchy essence.
- Simmering Process: Reduce heat and let the soup gently simmer, allowing potatoes to become ultra-tender and partially dissolve, creating a naturally creamy texture without additional mashing.
- Cream Infusion: Temper heavy cream by slowly incorporating hot soup liquid, then carefully fold the cream mixture back into the pot, stirring gently to prevent separation and ensure a luxurious, silky finish.
- Final Presentation: Ladle the rich, velvety soup into serving bowls, crowning with crispy bacon fragments, delicate green onion slivers, and a lavish sprinkle of sharp cheddar cheese for a complete flavor profile.
Notes
- Bacon Rendering Tip: Cook bacon slowly to extract maximum flavor and create a crispy texture without burning, which forms the foundational taste for the entire soup.
- Roux Technique: Stirring flour consistently prevents clumping and ensures a smooth base, critical for achieving the soup’s creamy thickness without lumps.
- Cream Tempering Strategy: Gradually mixing hot soup with cream prevents curdling, maintaining a silky and luxurious soup texture by carefully balancing temperatures.
- Potato Cooking Insight: Allow some potatoes to break down naturally during simmering, which creates a naturally thick and rich soup consistency without additional thickeners.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg