Baked Potato Soup
I was asked to present a soup in a healthy cooking seminar this week. And since I made an information sheet and a recipe card I thought I would share them with you as well!
My focus is on ditching processed foods, and in this particular presentation I am talking about condensed cream of anything cans of soup.
Have you ever looked at the ingredient list on a Campbells Soup can? If you visit campbells.com, you are presented with some beautiful photography, suggesting that there are only whole ingredients in your soup. Stock, Veggies, Protein, Pasta, Dairy and Seafood are listed as the wholesome ingredients in the soup you enjoy out of the can. Uh - they left out a few things. - Where is the beautiful photography for the modified cornstarch, the soy protein concentrate, yeast extract and all the “natural flavorings” . Or what about the the verbiage that says “Contains bioengineered food ingredients” and “This product come from genetically modified crops” ? I don’t know about you, but I’m not so interested in this can of so called soup concentrate in the name of convenience.
To demonstrate how to ditch the can, I taught how to make a roux.
A roux? what’s that?
To put it simply; a roux is equal parts fat and flour, slowly heated to make a thickening agent. It is then ready to add to soup, gravy or other sauces that need a thick consistency. Once you know how to make a roux, you can make ANY cream of soup by adding the flavors of your choice.
Need country gravy? Make a roux with bacon or sausage grease, flour and black pepper.
Making green bean casserole? Don’t add a can of mushroom soup! Mix up a roux, add less milk, just enough to equal the 10 ounce can, and voila! you have the alternative.
BAKED POTATO SOUP!
So now that you know how to make a roux, you lets make some soup. This is baked potato soup, the shining glory of this soup is the potatoes are baked prior to being in the soup. I personally like to leave the skins on because that is what brings the distinct flavor.
There are several methods to baking potatoes and any of them will work for this recipe. I prefer to leave the skins on my potatoes in the soup because I love the flavor of baked potato skins. Therefore, baking them in the oven is my favorite method for this particular soup.
Oven: Wash potatoes well and poke several times with a fork to create steam holes. In a preheated oven, bake the potatoes directly on the rack for appox 1 hour, or until a knife slips into the center smoothly
Instant Pot: Wash potatoes and poke with a fork. Place in instant pot, lock the lid and close the valve. Cook on high pressure for 16 minutes, natural release
Air Fryer: Wash potatoes and poke with a fork, Soak in a hot water bath for 10-20 minutes. Cook at 400 for 30 minutes, flip them over and cook an additional 5-10 minutes or until they are soft through the center.
*It’s been a tradition in many families to bake potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil. We discourage cooking with aluminum foil. The amount of aluminum that cooks into the food is considered safe to eat by the USDA. At 3 Dog Urban Homestead we strive to cook as clean as possible, removing all unnecessary contaminants.
INGREDIENTS
4 Large Russet Potatoes
2/3 Cup Butter
2/3 Cup Flour
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
6 Cups Milk
1 Cup Sour Cream
3/4 Cup Green Onions
10 Strips of Bacon, Crumbled
1 Cup Shredded Cheese
DIRECTIONS
Bake Potatoes in the oven at 350 for 1 Hour (or baked through) Cool Completely
Cube the Potatoes and set aside ( peel if you prefer no skins)
Heat your dutch oven or stock pot, melt the butter, Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. - This makes the roux
Add milk, slowly bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes
Remove from heat, add sour cream, onions, cheese, Bacon and any other baked potato fixin’ you love.
For printable versions, click on the pictures
