Once again, I'm sharing a recipe from The Splendid Table: Weeknight Kitchen. Everything after this paragraph are Lynne's words — and the reprinted recipe, of course. Happy Cooking!
Reprinted with permission from Dollars To Donuts: Comfort Food and Kitchen Wisdom from Route 66's Landmark Rock Café by Dawn Welch (Rodale, Inc., 2009). Copyright © 2009 by Channeling Media LLC.
Serves 6
When I first started at the Rock, money was tight, and I had to find ways to make use of absolutely everything in the kitchen. One thing that made me crazy was the sorry sight of a pile of baked potatoes that didn't get sold during dinner service (I'd never sell them the next day; they were too soggy and soft). Then, one day, a light bulb went off — why not turn them into potato soup? My potato soup became such a hit that I had to start boiling up extra potatoes to augment whatever I had left from the night before. It's still one of the most popular items at the Café.
4 thick-cut bacon slices
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 teaspoons salt
9 (about 3 pounds) russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 cups whole or low-fat milk
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Finely chopped chives, for serving (optional)
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the bacon in the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Add the onion, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of salt to the pan and cook until the onion is soft and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Crumble the bacon back into the skillet, turn off the heat, and set aside.
2. Bring the potatoes to a boil in a large pot with 4 cups of water and 1-½ teaspoons of salt. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until they're tender and just starting to break apart, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a potato masher or wooden spoon, smash the potatoes in the pot with the water until they're mostly broken up (you want to keep some chunky potato bits).
3. Heat the milk in a small saucepan or the microwave until hot, and then add to the potatoes. Stir in the bacon and onion mixture, the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Return to the stove, and continue to simmer until the soup is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chives, if using, and serve hot.
LYNNE'S TIPS:
Think of this recipe as a base for seasonings and add-ins that appeal to you: a bit of fresh dill and/or small shrimp, some curry powder sautéed in, canned corn or fresh kernels cut from the cob in season, or sautéed leeks for a riff on the classic vichyssoise.