Guest Post - Fully Loaded Cheesy Potato Soup

As I told you last week, my husband is starting his own food blog under the name One Hungry Dude. While he’s getting things ready he’s guest posting here every Friday. Last Friday he shared his recipe for Beef & Guinness Stew and this week he’s keeping with the soup theme. Chris’ potato soup is delicious and he’s adapted the recipe to be vegetarian for me – obviously he leaves the bacon off the top of my bowl! Hope you enjoy.

I was never really a huge fan of potato soup, until recently. Perhaps it's because I had only previously tried versions of the soup that had been left unblended, with big chunks of potato in tact. But after trying this recipe, my attitude towards potato soup has totally changed. It's like eating a creamy, pillowy baked potato, loaded with cheese, onions and a ton of other great flavours.

Ingredients
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle light-bodied beer
• 4 medium sized russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups grated Cheddar
• Dash hot sauce
• Dash Worcestershire
• 4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, for topping
• Sprinkle of parsley, for topping

Directions
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic and sauté in butter until the vegetables begin to soften, about four minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and continue to stir for two minutes to toast the flour. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Gradually whisk in the stock, then the milk and the beer. Stir in the potatoes and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup until the potato is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, and using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Return the soup to low heat. Add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring until melted and smooth after each addition. Season the soup, to taste, with hot sauce, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper.

Divide the soup among bowls and top with crisp bacon and parsley.
 

Try to leave enough for a reheated bowl the next day. Once the ingredients have the chance to meld together overnight, the flavours actually seem to become more prominent, and the cheese is definitely sharper tasting. It's almost like eating a completely different soup; just add a splash of vegetable stock to loosen up the leftovers, so they have less of a 'mashed potato' consistency. When serving, my wife also recommends a dollop of sour cream on top, and the original recipe calls for diced chives.

The total time to create this meal is 50 minutes (20 to prep, and 30 to cook). This recipe yields four to six servings.

— Recipe inspired by The Neelys.