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Creamy Irish Potato Soup Recipe

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★★★★★

4.9 from 711 reviews

This Creamy Irish Potato Soup is a comforting and hearty dish made with crispy bacon, tender potatoes, savory leeks and onions, and a rich blend of chicken broth and heavy cream. Infused with herbs like thyme, parsley, and bay leaves, this soup delivers classic Irish-inspired flavors perfect for chilly days or whenever you crave a velvety, flavorful bowl.

Ingredients

Scale

Bacon and Vegetables

  • 16 ounces bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 leek, cleaned and finely sliced

Soup Base

  • 8 cups Yukon gold or russet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups heavy cream

Seasonings

  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. Prepare Ingredients: Clean, peel, and dice the potatoes. Finely dice the yellow onion and clean and thinly slice the leek. Cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces to prep for cooking.
  2. Cook Bacon: In a large pot, add the bacon and cook over medium heat until crispy. Once cooked, remove the bacon and set aside, leaving the grease in the pot for added flavor in the next steps.
  3. Sauté Vegetables: Add the diced onions and sliced leeks to the bacon grease in the pot. Sauté until the vegetables are tender and fragrant to build the soup’s flavor base.
  4. Remove Excess Grease: Carefully remove and discard any excess bacon grease from the pot to avoid an overly greasy soup.
  5. Add Broth and Potatoes: Pour the chicken broth into the pot and add the diced potatoes. Stir everything together to combine the ingredients evenly.
  6. Season the Soup: Add the bay leaves, dried thyme, dried parsley, salt, and black pepper to the pot. These herbs and spices enhance the flavor profile of the soup.
  7. Simmer Potatoes: Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender and cooked through.
  8. Blend or Mash: Use a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes in the pot, which thickens the soup naturally. Alternatively, use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth, depending on your preferred texture.
  9. Add Cream and Adjust Seasoning: Stir in the heavy cream to add richness and creaminess to the soup. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Notes

  • You can use either Yukon gold or russet potatoes depending on your preference for texture and flavor.
  • Adjust the cream quantity to your desired level of richness or use half-and-half for a lighter version.
  • If you prefer a chunkier soup, mash only half of the potatoes rather than blending the entire pot.
  • Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
  • For a vegetarian variant, omit bacon and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

Keywords: Irish potato soup, creamy potato soup, bacon potato soup, comfort food, easy soup recipe, leek soup, homemade soup

Find it online: https://busyrecipe.com/creamy-irish-potato-soup-recipe/