Twice-Baked Potato Soup

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A steakhouse-style baked potato soup that starts where it should — with actual baked potatoes. Roasting the russets in their skins until the flesh is fluffy and faintly sweet gives the soup a toasty, real-baked-potato flavor you can't fake by boiling. Instead of thickening with a flour roux, half the potato is mashed straight into the pot, so the body comes from starch and the finish tastes clean and dairy-forward. Loaded up with cheddar, scallions, sour cream and optional bacon, it eats like a twice-baked potato you can drink.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 lb russet potatoes (about 5 large)
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt, for rubbing

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
• 6 oz sharp cheddar, coarsely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, optional
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 oz sharp cheddar, grated (about 1/2 cup)
• cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Scrub and dry the potatoes, prick each one 5 or 6 times with a fork, then rub all over with the vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Set directly on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake 55 to 70 minutes, until the skins are papery and a paring knife slides into the center with no resistance. Let them cool 15 minutes, until you can handle them.
2. If you're using bacon, lay the slices in a cold skillet over medium heat and cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning, until crisp. Drain on paper towels, crumble, and reserve. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat (or all of it, if you want the soup fully vegetarian).
3. Split the baked potatoes lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Roughly mash about half of it with a fork until smooth-ish; cut or break the rest into rough 3/4-inch chunks and set aside separately. Save two of the skins if you want crisp garnish (see tips) and discard the rest.
4. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, melt the butter (along with the reserved tablespoon of bacon fat, if using). Add the onion and celery with a pinch of salt and cook 7 to 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and smoked paprika and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant.
5. Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the mashed potato a large spoonful at a time — it will dissolve and thicken the broth on its own, no flour needed. Simmer 10 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the soup is smooth and lightly creamy.
6. Stir in the milk, heavy cream, potato chunks, 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Keep the heat at a bare simmer (do not boil, or the dairy can break) and cook 10 minutes, until the soup coats a spoon and the potato chunks are meltingly tender.
7. Turn the heat to low. Whisk in the sour cream, then add the 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar in three handfuls, stirring until each melts before adding the next. Stir in the vinegar or lemon juice — this is what keeps all that dairy from tasting flat — then taste and add salt and pepper until the potato flavor pops.
8. If you want it thicker, mash a few of the potato chunks against the side of the pot with a spoon and stir; if it's too thick, thin with a splash of warm broth or milk. Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream, the remaining cheddar, scallions, crumbled bacon and plenty of cracked pepper. Serve hot.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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