Baked Potato Soup — NYT Cooking

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon, or 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced separately
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes, large skins reserved
• 6 cups whole milk
• Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne
• ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¾ cup sour cream, plus more for serving
• ¾ cup freshly grated Cheddar (about 3 ounces), plus more for serving

Instructions

1. Render the bacon — In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon (if using) until crisp, 12 to 13 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate or cutting board. Return the pot with just 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat to the stove. (If there's not enough fat, supplement with butter to total 3 tablespoons.) If making the soup vegetarian, melt butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Build the soup base — Over medium-low heat, sauté the white parts of the scallions and the garlic until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently and adjusting the heat as necessary to avoid burning the garlic. Add the potatoes, milk and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat (resist the urge to heat it faster as this can lead to curdling). Once at a boil, lower the heat and simmer covered until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Crisp the potato skins — As soup simmers, prepare the potato skins: Warm the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Working in batches if needed, add the potato peels in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until crisp and golden-brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or cutting board, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, cayenne and garlic powder. Crumble and set aside.
4. Finish and serve — Once the potatoes are tender, take the pot off the heat, and purée the mixture with an immersion blender if you'd like a smooth soup. (Mash with a potato masher if you'd like a chunkier soup.) Stir in the sour cream and cheese until combined, then season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with crumbled bacon, more sour cream and Cheddar and the green parts of the scallions. Top with potato peels (eat any extra as chips, dipped in ketchup and mustard).

Notes

• Watch the milk — Bring the milk up slowly; heating too fast can cause it to curdle. The milk also wants to froth and boil over, so keep an eye on it.
• Texture choice — Blend with an immersion blender for smooth/bisque-style, or mash with a potato masher for a chunkier result. Some cooks reserve half the potatoes before blending and stir them back in for a mix of both.
• Vegetarian version — Swap the bacon for 3 tablespoons butter and skip the bacon garnish.
• Lighter version (from reader notes) — Use half milk and half chicken broth, or sub Greek yogurt for the sour cream to cut richness.
• High altitude — Simmer a bit longer (~20 minutes instead of 15) for fully tender potatoes.
• Serving idea — Set out a "potato bar" with chopped broccoli, tomatoes, herbs, and yogurt alongside the crispy skins so people can top their own bowls.

Tags: #recipe #soup #potato #bacon #cheddar #american #comfortfood #weeknight