Veggie-Potato Soup with Bacon

It is supposed to be spring, according to everyone but that damn Groundhog.  Last week was lovely, sixty degrees and sunny…Ah, that’s the stuff dreamy spring’s are made of.  Until Friday when we received 3 inches of snow.  And the boiler in my apartment building broke.  And apparently the closest replacement is in Chicago.  And it’s snowing again and we still have no heat and the windows are leaky and the cold is seeping in from the floor and the walls and the windows and my landlord says there isn’t anything to be done.

Except make soup.  After taking stock of what was in the fridge I decided that this would be Leftover Soup…but then I found the last of the bacon and after one bit I decided this dish needed a proper title.  Leftover Soup with Bacon is a very nice and all, but it will have to wait for another day.  I must say, I was thrilled with how fantastic this turned out, the bacon makes the veggies a bit smoky, the half-and-half and cheese make everything so creamy and delicious…I will definitely be making this again and again, hopefully without a side of freezing-cold apartment.

Veggie-Potato Soup with Bacon

6-8 slices of Center-Cut bacon

1/4 cup butter
1/2 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 large potatoes, peeled & diced
3 cups chicken broth
salt & pepper
2 bay leaves

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups cream, half-and-half, or milk (depending on your calorie thresh-hold)

1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 small zucchini, shredded

Cook bacon until crispy, drain, pat dry and let cool. Crumble or chop into a zillion pieces.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in large pot, add onion, garlic and celery and cook until soft. Add chicken broth and potatoes, salt & pepper and bay leaves. Bring to boil.

Meanwhile, make white-sauce by melting 1/4 cup butter in small saucepan. Add cream & flour and stir until it starts to thicken. Add cream sauce to large pot with crumbly bacon bits, bell pepper and zucchini. Bring soup to boil & then let simmer until potatoes are soft.

Serve with a small handful of cheddar cheese on top.