RESTAURANT-QUALITY BAKED POTATO SOUP

Restaurant-Quality Baked Potato Soup image

This is a great baked potato soup. It tastes so good you will think you are in a restaurant and not in your own kitchen.

Provided by MARBALET

Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Soup Recipes Vegetable Soup Recipes

Time 1h45m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

2 potatoes
3 tablespoons margarine
2 cups chopped white onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
¼ cup cornstarch
1 ½ cups instant mashed potato flakes
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried basil
⅛ teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup half-and-half
½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
8 ounces bacon - cooked and crumbled
2 green onions, chopped

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake potatoes for 1 hour, or until done. Set aside to cool.
Melt butter in a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions until tender and golden brown. Stir in flour, and cook 5 minutes to make a roux. Pour in chicken stock and water. Add cornstarch and mashed potato flakes. Season with salt, pepper, basil and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the skin from the cooled potatoes, and discard. Dice the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes, and stir into soup, along with the half-and-half. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thick. Spoon into bowls, and garnish with shredded cheese, bacon and chopped green onion.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 491.8 calories, Carbohydrate 36.3 g, Cholesterol 66.5 mg, Fat 29.2 g, Fiber 3.7 g, Protein 21 g, SaturatedFat 11.1 g, Sodium 1418.5 mg, Sugar 3.3 g