Baked Potato Soup

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 large baked Idaho or Russet potatoes, flesh scooped from the shell
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups organic low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 8 slices uncured bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 1 Canned shoestring potatoes, such as Pik-Nik (0 trans fat and gluten free)
• Sour cream to garnish
• Shredded cheddar cheese to garnish
• Chives, chopped to garnish

1. In a large soup pan or dutch oven, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and bay leaf, and saute, stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the broth, bring to a simmer, and continue to simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
3. Discard the bay leaf, add potatoes and simmer for 10. Stir in the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Ladle the soup into mugs or bowls and garnish with crumbled bacon, shoestring potatoes, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and chives. Serve immediately.

olive oil, potatoes, garlic, yellow onion, carrots, celery, bay leaf, chicken broth, heavy whipping cream, kosher salt, uncured bacon, potatoes, sour cream, cheddar cheese, chives

Taken from food52.com/recipes/30240-baked-potato-soup (may not work)