This soup is comforting and so tasty by itself with a chunk of hearty bread and salad or your favorite sandwich. I often pair this soup up with Corned Beef and Sauteed Cabbage and Irish Brown bread.
Ingredients
- 3 Crustini
- 10 slices of Pancetta – more or less (or 6 bacon slices if desired), coarsely chopped
- 1 Tbs Butter
- 1 medium Onion, diced
- 2 Celery stalks, diced
- 10 Yukon, Gold or White Potatoes (peeled if desired) and diced
- Salt and Pepper
- 8 cups low sodium Chicken Broth
- 4 Tbls Flour
- ½ Half and Half
- ½ cup milk
- 1 bunch of Chives finely chopped
- ½ cup White Cheddar, grated.
Directions
In large pot add Pancetta and heat over medium heat and cook til crisps. It will cook quickly so just a few minutes. Remove Pancetta and set aside.
Add 1 Tbs Butter to same heated pot and add the Onions and Celery. Stir and cook for about 3 minutes or so til just tender. Add diced Potatoes. Cook for a few minutes and add Salt and Pepper to season veggies.
Add Chicken Broth and bring to a gentle boil. Cook til potatoes are just starting to get tender. Meanwhile, whisk the flour into the Half and Half and milk and pour into the soup and allow to cook for another 5 – 10 minutes.
If you like potato chunks in your soup, then pour about ½ of the soup into a smaller pot, and with an immersion blender (if you don’t have one pour soup into a blender) blend til smooth. When smooth, pour soup back into the original pot and heat back up.
Add White Cheddar cheese to the soup and stir til cheese has melted. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. For a little heat, add a dash or two of cayenne pepper or hot sauce.
Garnish with Pancetta and Chives. If desired Cheddar cheese
Gather… and enjoy.
Note: If using a blender, take half of the soup and let it cool for about 5 – 10 minutes before blending.
