Makes 4 Quarts
2 Ounces Unsalted Butter (1/2 Stick)
½ Pound Thick Cut Bacon, Finely Chopped
4 Cups Finely Chopped Carrots
4 Cups Finely Chopped Celery
2 Cups Finely Chopped Spanish Onions
2 Cups Chopped Peeled Yukon Gold Potatoes (Medium Dice)
½ Cup All-Purpose Flour
6 Cups Homemade Chicken Stock or Canned Low Sodium Chicken Broth, Heated
2 Teaspoons Coarse Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 Cups Crème Fraiche
Crème Fraiche and Chopped Fresh Chives for Garnish
In a large pot such as a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. When butter has stopped foaming add the bacon and cook until bacon is crisp and all the fat has been rendered. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel and set aside. Leave the rendered fat in the pan. In the same pot with the rendered bacon fat add the carrots, celery, onions and potatoes. Sauté the vegetables until they become softened, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently. Add the bacon and stir to combine.
Add the flour and stir the mixture until every bit of vegetable is coated with the flour. Cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently. You don’t want the flour to burn. Add the hot chicken stock, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook the soup for 30 minutes, until the carrots and potatoes are cooked through and soft. Add the Crème Fraiche. Stir to incorporate the crème into the soup. Gently simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve the soup in warm bowls, topped with a dollop of Crème Fraiche and a sprinkle of chopped fresh chives.
Hints and Tips: I chop the Carrot, Celery and Onion in the food processor. I chop it fine but not pureed. Pulse a few times.
This recipe can easily be cut in half.
