potato soup with bacon and asparagus

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 4 slices of thickly-cut bacon
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 cups low-fat milk
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives (optional)

Recipe

Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 45 mins Ready Time: 1 hr 10 mins


• place bacon slices into a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
• stir onion, garlic, and salt into the hot skillet and cook and stir until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. remove from heat.
• bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and stir in the asparagus; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until asparagus are softened but still bright green, 5 to 8 minutes. drain asparagus and set aside.
• place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water. bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes; drain.
• transfer cooked potatoes to a soup pot and mash them with a potato masher, leaving some potato chunks for texture.
• pour milk into a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high setting until the milk is hot, 1 to 3 minutes; stir milk occasionally as it heats. pour hot milk into the potatoes and stir to combine.
• place soup over medium-low heat. crumble bacon slices and stir bacon and the onion mixture into the soup; heat to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until soup thickens, 5 to 10 minutes.
• sprinkle soup with chives to serve.