Day 21 - Yukon Gold Potato Soup

Yukon Gold Potato Soup

 I know.  It's Sunday.  And no, I didn't take my lunch anywhere.  But this was one of those long, rainy Sunday afternoons with lots of paperwork involved, so I needed something pretty quick and comforting for lunch.

So I made a creamy, cheesy Yukon Gold Potato Soup.  In August.  I'm ok with it.

You might want to hold off until autumn for this soup, but it's a must try.  It's simple, quick, and slightly lower fat than most cream soups.

It's also an altered version of Cooking Light's Loaded Potato Soup.  Mine's a little less "light."  :)

Yukon Gold Potato Soup

1.5 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 bacon slices 
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups reduced fat milk
1 Tablespoon cornstarch  
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

In a medium pot, place potatoes and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.  Drain and set aside.

In a large soup pot, cook bacon until crisp.  Remove and crumble bacon; set aside.  Drain bacon drippings, reserving about 2 teaspoons.  Heat the 2 teaspoons of oil in the pot, adding onions and garlic.  Saute for about 5 minutes over medium heat, or until tender.  Gently add in broth and milk.  Whisk in cornstarch and bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer for 1-2 minutes, or until mixture begins to thicken.  Remove from heat and stir in sour cream, salt, pepper, and 1/3 cup of cheese.  Add in half of potatoes.  Blend with an immersion blender for a few seconds, until soup is well thickened.  Add in remaining potatoes and serve immediatley, topping with remaining cheese and bacon crumbles.

Just look at that cheesy goodness!

If you don't have an immersion blender, you can simply just roughly mash potatoes with a potato masher.  For a more pureed soup, try an upright blender or food processor.  The consistency is up to you!