Chicken Potato Soup with Bacon

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 4 slices thick cut smoked bacon, cut into shorter pieces

  • 1 small onion, diced

  • 2 ribs celery, diced

  • 1 medium carrot, diced small or grated

  • 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2” pieces

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

  • 1 teaspoon Italian herb blend

  • 1 teaspoon dried chives

  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (such as Better Than Bouillon), optional

  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 3 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded (leftover or rotisserie is great)

  • 1 cup half and half

  • 2 green onions, sliced on the diagonal

  • 1 cup chopped spinach leaves

  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Suggested garnishes:

  • Crumbled bacon

  • Sliced green onions

  • Snipped fresh chives

  • Shredded cheese

  • A dollop of sour cream

Instructions

  • Heat wide bottom Dutch oven or soup pot over medium

  • Cook bacon til crispy, flipping often and moving around the pan so it doesn’t burn to the bottom of the pot (about 15 minutes).

  • Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain and rest.

  • There should be 1 to 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot. Carefully drain off excess, if necessary.

  • Add the onions, celery, carrots and potatoes to the pot. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the aromatics are softened (the potatoes might not be cooked through at this point; that’s okay). As the veggies exude their liquids, it will deglaze any crusty brown fond left from the bacon. Be sure to stir frequently. (About 8-10 minutes)

  • Spoon in the flour, mustard, and dried herbs over the veggies, and stir everything together. If very stiff and pasty, add a splash of the chicken broth to loosen. Let this mixture cook for a minute or two to remove the rawness of the flour.

  • Raise the heat to medium high and begin stirring in the broth 1 cup at a time. This will help the flour thicken the broth.

  • Add the Worcestershire sauce and bouillon (if using). Bring the soup up to an active simmer and let bubble gently for 10 minutes.

  • When the bacon has cooled, crumble into small bits and set some aside for garnish at serving.

  • Reduce heat to low.

  • Stir in the half-and-half, followed by the cooked chicken, crumbled bacon, spinach, green onions (reserve some if using for garnish), red pepper flakes and a pinch of black pepper.

  • Let the soup rest for 5 or 10 minutes. The spinach will wilt, and the soup will continue to thicken.

  • Taste, and adjust with salt and black pepper as needed.

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