Potato Soup

Returning home after my week of southern, deep-fried feasting, thoughts turn to eating more vegetables and fiber ;) I'm always game for a new potato soup recipe (served with a side of salad of course!) So, here's Cooking Light's latest potato soup recipe:


Corn and Fingerling Potato Chowder with Applewood-Smoked Bacon.

As the name implies, fingerling potatoes have a narrow shape, similar to a finger. These baby white potatoes contain less starch than russet potatoes; waxy small red potatoes make a good stand-in.(which is what I used and they looked pretty in the soup)

2 slices applewood-smoked bacon (I used 4)

1 3/4 cups diced onion

3 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 7 ears)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk (I used skim b/c it was what I had on hand)

1/2 cup half-and-half

8 ounces (1/4-inch-thick) rounds fingerling potato slices (I used red pot's)

1/4 teaspoon salt (I used a tspn and a half)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (I used a tspn)

Thyme sprigs (optional)

Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp(any excuse to use your Le Creuset is a good one, dontcha think?). Remove bacon from pan; crumble.

Add onion to drippings in pan; cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Add corn, chopped thyme, and garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Stir in broth, milk, half-and-half, and potatoes; bring to a simmer. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

Transfer 2 cups potato mixture to a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth; return pureed mixture to pan.

Stir in salt and black pepper; sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired. Yield: 5 servings

(serving size: about 1 cup)CALORIES 186 (27% from fat); FAT 5.5g (sat 2.7g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 7.6g; CHOLESTEROL 18mg; CALCIUM 84mg; SODIUM 398mg; FIBER 3.4g; IRON 1.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 27.8g Cooking Light, AUGUST 2007