Bacon Potato Soup

If you're looking for a new soup to whip up on a cold winter's day, may I suggest a creamy bacon potato soup? I came across this recipe in one of my cooking magazines (Cooking for Two... perfect for DINKs...Double Income No Kids) and thought it would be a great for a quick meal one night. It was also my first attempt at any type of soup, and since it turned out so good, its been added to our dinner list. It also freezes very nicely, so you could make a double batch and save the leftovers for another night.

The original recipe didn't call for bacon, but I had some left over from a Sunday brunch, and really, doesn't bacon make everything better? But if you're watching what you eat these days or cooking vegetarian, feel free to leave out the bacon. As with any soup (I assume...), you really can add or take away ingredients to suit your own liking (for me, any recipe that includes mushrooms are immediately deleted!).

Recipe

1/2 pound each of small unpeeled red and white potatoes, cut into chunks

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup water

1/4 chopped onion

2 tsp canola oil

1 tbsp flour

1/4 cup milk

3 tbsp cream cheese

1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese

3-6 strips bacon, cubed

1. Place potatoes in large saucepan; add broth and water and bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minus or until almost tender.
2. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, saute onions and bacon in canola oil until cooked; add to potatoes.
3. In a small bowl, combine flour and milk until smooth; add to potato mixture and bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened.
4. Reduce heat; stir in cream cheese and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until cheese is melted and potatoes are tender, stirring ocassionally. Garnish with Swiss cheese and crisp bacon bits.

For extra flavour, the second time I made this soup I actually used herb and garlic cream cheese, and often I'll add a touch of red pepper flakes for a bit of heat. Feel free to experiment! I think once you have the basics down, you'll be able to make a different soup every time...