The Best Potato Soup EVER!!

About 12 years ago or so, Scott and I went down to Monterey California (and right now we can't remember why we were there, isn't that sad? That is why I have this blog, to help me remember things like this!! tee hee!)

Anyway, as we were roaming around the city, we found a wonderful restaurant...Italian, of course! And the reason I can remember it and the name, Rosine's Cuisine, is because I bought their cookbook! And they have the best, I mean the really best Potato Soup recipe. Tonight when I was talking to my dad, he said he made the best potato soup he ever had and it was from Rosine's, I had given the recipe to my mom years ago. So I thought, WOW, I better post this in case someone needs to have this soup this fall, using some of those good potatoes from the garden or at least those yummy small gold yukon ones from the store (or better yet, the farmers market!) This is comfort food at its BEST!! So good to warm the tummy and the soul on those cool fall and winter evenings...very filling, with only a garlic or cheesey bread to go with it!

Potato Leek Soup

1/4 # raw bacon, finely chopped
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
3 leeks, white parts only, chopped
1 cup celery chopped
4 cups of potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 cups strong chicken stock
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 tsp. pepper

Roux: 1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/3 cup flour
3 cups milk or half and half

In a large saucepan, (or Dutch oven!) cook the bacon in the butter until almost crisp. Now I like mine crisp, so I make sure all the pieces are really crisp! Add the leeks, celery, and potatoes. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and browning up the potatoes. Add the chicken stock, bouillon cubes and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile in another saucepan, melt the margarine or butter. Stir in the flour, making a roux. cook for a few minutes, then wisk into the soup (I usually take a ladle of the soup and add it to the roux before I dump the whole thing into the soup...just to make sure it blends good and doesn't get lumpy!) When the soup has thickened, add the milk or half and half, sirring well. Taste for flavor and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.

That's IT! However, my own version is slightly different..
1. my hubby doesn't like cooked celery so much, so I leave that out.
2. I don't like soggy bacon, so I take my bacon out of the pan after it has been crisped up. I DO NOT add it into the soup, I serve it as a garnish on top of the soup!
3. I add a little bit of grated cheese on top, along with maybe a few slices of green onions and then of course the bacon bits!
4. to be honest, I actually fry up closer to a whole pound of bacon, cause you know, when you trim the fat and have those little itty bitty pieces, they don't go very far and I like to have more than just three or four pieces sitting on top of my bowl of soup! I just wrap those bacon bits into a paper towel and then into a zip lock bag and can just pull a few out at a time as I serve up the soup for several days!

I hope you have a chance to make this and I wonder if Rosine's is still around? I have made several of their recipes, next time I will post their delicious 'meatballs'. My family LOVES them and Scott likes me to make meatball sandwiches when I have leftovers!

So, as Julia Child would say: Bon Appetit!!