Meatless Monday ~ Creamy Potato Soup

There's nothing better on a cold winter's day than a steaming bowl of soup. My family LOVES this recipe. It's easy and delicious. Try it for dinner tonight!

CREAMY POTATO SOUP

Ingredients
2 to 3 slices of bacon, cut in half

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 stalks of celery, chopped

2 medium carrots, diced or grated

1 small onion, diced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

Garnishes: crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped scallions

Preparation

1. In a large saucepan or soup pot, fry bacon until crisp, drain on a paper towel.

2. To bacon drippings, add potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, salt, pepper and broth. Cover, cook over medium heat about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

3. Combine flour with 1/4 cup of milk until smooth. Add to potato mixture, stir well to combine.

4. Add remaining milk. Cook over medium heat until the mixture boils.

5. Ladle into bowls. Crumble cooked bacon and any other garnishes. (Makes 4 to 5 servings)

Notes:

For a vegetarian variation, omit bacon. Cook vegetables in water or vegetable broth. When adding the milk, add 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine.

If feeding little ones (18 mos. to 3 years), prevent choking by using a potato masher to crush the potato chunks before serving.