Smooth Potato Leek Soup with Bacon and White Cheddar

Kind of a unique way to make this, a few more steps involved, but bear with me.

Basically, after cooking everything but the potatoes and bacon, you strain the vegetables (leeks and garlic) out of the liquid. Then, as with many potato soup recipes, you blend or process about 1/3 of the mixture (minus the bacon) to finish. I don’t sauté the vegetables either, no butter. The finish using a very sharp white cheddar makes adds a bright element that more than makes up for the sometimes bland potatoes. Of course using leeks, instead of onions, keeps it nice and mellow compared to onions. White cheddar and white pepper to keep it, well, white!

Ingredients:

• 3 thick slices of bacon, cooked, 1/2 inch chop

• 1/2 cup leeks, white part only, 1/2 inch chop

• Bouquet garni – 2 sprigs of thyme, 1 sprig of rosemary, 3-4 sprigs of parsley, tied together

• 1 tsp garlic, thin sliced

• 3/4 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks

• 2 cups of low-sodium chicken stock

• 1/2 cup dry sherry

• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp white pepper

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 2 tbsps green onions, 1/8 inch slice

• Fresh chives, chopped

• Grated sharp white cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Cook the bacon slightly crisp, chop.

• Place the chicken stock, the sherry, the leeks, the garlic, and the bouquet garni in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

• Strain the stock through a fine wire sieve, discard the vegetables. Add the potatoes and the cooked bacon to the pan. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, just until the potatoes are fork tender, not mushy.

• Remove all but 1/3 of the soup to a bowl. With an immersions blend, process the 1/3 in the pan until smooth. Return to the pan.

• Stir in the heavy cream and green onions. Taste. Season with Kosher salt and white pepper. Reheat if necessary. Garnish with a few fresh chopped chives and about 1 tbsp of sharp white cheddar to serve.