This is quite possibly my favorite soup of all time! It is extra thick, creamy, and full of flavor.
Starting with a homemade bone broth is a great way to avoid unwanted additives and extra sodium. It also gives your soup a boost of nutrients accompanied by many other benefits. I usually choose chicken broth for this recipe, but turkey or vegetable broth would work well as an alternative.
As for the potatoes, they can be peeled or left with the skin on. I despise peeling potatoes, so mine keep their skin. The peel of a potato contains fibre as well as minerals and vitamins like potassium and vitamin C.
If you have canned potatoes in your pantry, they can help to cut down on prep and cooking time. Add the canned spuds to the broth and boil, they’ll become tender much faster and save you some time at the cutting board.
The pan of bacon, onion, garlic, and corn will fill your home with an aroma making everyone excited for dinner.
Side note: if you aren’t using scissors to cut your bacon, you need to give it a try!
If you’re feeling sneaky, try using whole wheat flour in the roux instead of traditional all purpose or white. I use a fine, fresh-ground whole wheat and no one even notices.
Keep in mind, the more you mash the potatoes, the thicker the soup will be. I prefer to mash until approximately half of the cubes are mashed. Finish by adding heavy cream and salt & pepper to taste.
If you are choosing to make this recipe shelf stable, skip the cream in this step and add it when reheating.
Served with some fresh bread or buns, it is a delicious way to warm up a rainy day. Or pressure can it for a ready to eat meal option.
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Potato Bacon Soup
Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups potatoes cubed
- 1 package 375g bacon, chopped
- 1 medium onion
- 1 can corn
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add potatoes and broth to a large pot bring to boil. Cook until potatoes are tender.
- Cook bacon and onion in a large pan. When the bacon half done, add the garlic and corn. Continue to cook over medium heat until corn is beginning to brown.
- When the corn, bacon, and onions are cooked, move from the pan to large pot with the potatoes, leaving behind some of the bacon grease. Reduce to medium heat.
- Melt the butter in the pan with the grease. Add the flour and stir to create a roux. Add 1/2 cup of hot broth to the flour/butter and stir until thickened. Continue this until you have added 2 cups.
- Add thickened broth back to the large pot with potatoes, bacon, corn, etc. Use a potato masher to mash some of the potato cubes. This will also thicken the soup.
- Stir in the heavy cream, salt and pepper. Cook for a few more minutes to bring back up to temperature.