Tasty Potato Soup

1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

6 slices bacon, chopped (I used a little more than this, and my husband requested even more in the next batch)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

4 tsp. all-purpose flour

4 3/4 cups chicken broth

2 1/2 cups milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley (I used basil because that’s all that’s left growing in my herb garden!)

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Cook potatoes in a large saucepan in lightly salted boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender; drain and set aside.

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In a 4-quart Dutch oven, cook bacon, onion, and celery until bacon is crisp and onion is tender. (Try to avoid eating all the bacon.) Stir in 4 teaspoons flour. Add broth, milk, salt, and pepper. Cook an dstir until just simmering (do not boil).

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In a medium saucepan, heat butter until melted. Stir in 1/2 cup flour. Cook and stir for 1 minutes. Slowly add butter-flour mixture to milk mixture, stirring constantly. (I found that spreading a scoop at a time around the Dutch oven to thin it out, then incorporating it into the soup, worked well to avoid clumps.) Cook and stir mixture until thickened and bubbly.

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Stir in cream and parsley. Stir in potatoes. Heat through. Garnish with shredded Colby cheese, crisp bacon pieces and fresh diced scallions if desired. Makes 8 servings. (It completely filled my Dutch oven. 

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