Friday, October 10, 2008

Three Potato Chowder

DSC00342

This is the perfect cold weather comfort soup. Please feel free to adjust this recipe to suit your diet.
*Bacon can be omitted and crispy shallots may be substituted to add depth of flavor.
*A Vegan version can be made by omitting milk and substituting unsweetened soy, rice, or almond milk.
*For thicker dairy free soup, puree half.
*Add 2 cups chopped kale for a heartier soup.

Three Potato Chowder

8 Strips Bacon (turkey bacon, or Smart Bacon), chopped
2 small Colorado sweet onions, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 small jalapeno, or roasted green chile
7 medium Colorado Gold potatoes
7 medium Colorado Red skin Potatoes
1 large sweet potato or yam
1 Bouquet Garni (BG)= 1 bay leaf, 6 stems parsley, 4 stems thyme, 6 whole peppercorns
2 quarts milk (2% is okay)
Kosher or sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Garnish: Chopped chives, grated local cheese,

In a large stockpot over medium heat, sauté bacon (or turkey bacon, smart bacon) until crisp. Remove bacon and all but a few tablespoons of fat. Chop bacon and set aside.

Sauté onions, celery, and jalapeno until the vegetables are translucent. Add all the potatoes, BG and milk. Bring soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes (You may need to skim the foam off the top, this is normal).

Once potatoes are tender, add 2 teaspoons salt, fresh ground pepper then taste and adjust seasonings. Remove the BG.

To Plate: Ladle soup into warm bowls, top with chopped bacon/smart bacon, cheese, and chives. Season with fresh pepper and serve with crusty bread.

3 comments:

Stephanie Geyer said...

Soup is on the stove as I write this for our dinner tonight. Thanks for making the farmer's market extra fun (and tasty) on a cold, rainy day.

Hoping you're still planning to post that Scotchy butterscotch sauce recipe tonight?

Chef Deb T said...

Stephanie, I am making the chowder for our dinner too! I Just posted the Apple cake and Scotch sauce..

When you make this, be prepared to share the cake, but hide the spoons as everyone wants to sneak the sauce when you are not looking!! Thanks for the comment,

Chef Deb

Jenn said...

I made this yesterday while it was cold and rainy. It turned out so yummy. We have leftovers for the next couple of cold days! Thanks for a great recipe! And thanks to the farmers for amazing onions, potatoes, and herbs!