Twice Baked Potato Soup

​If you love baked potatoes, this hearty soup is perfect for you! Add some cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon, and it's absolute heaven. You can even make this soup vegan by using the substitutions listed below. Don't use vegan bacon though, try it out with some smoky pecans or cashews and let us know what you think!

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Ingredients

• 3-4 large russet baking potatoes (about 2 lb)
• ½ c butter
• ½ c flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 4 c milk
• 1 ½ c shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• ½ to 1 lb bacon
• 1 large onion

Directions

• Scrub potatoes, leave the skins on, cut out any bad spots, and poke a few holes in each potato with a paring knife
• Wrap potatoes in aluminum foil and set on a baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes
• Leave potatoes in foil on baking sheet to cool until you can handle them safely
• Cut butter into pieces and place in a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven on the stove. Let butter melt on medium-low heat
• While butter is melting, cut onion into about ⅜ inch pieces
• Cook the onion in the melted butter until it’s translucent (about 10 minutes)
• Add flour and mix well. Let cook for about a minute
• Slowly add milk, mixing in about 1 c at a time
• Once well blended, stir in salt and pepper
• Let milk come up to heat and thicken, stirring every couple minutes (about 30 minutes)
• While the soup is cooking, cook bacon until nice and crispy. Set on paper towels
• Add ½ c cheddar cheese to soup and turn heat to low
• Crumble bacon up and add half to the soup. Set the other half aside
• Cut potatoes into ½ inch chunks and add to soup
• Put lid on soup pot and let cook for about 30 minutes
• To serve, put soup into a bowl and sprinkle cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon on top

Vegan Version

• Use ½ c vegan spread instead of butter, Country Crock brand is good
• Use 4 c oat milk or pea milk (Ripple brand) instead of milk. Do not use almond milk, it will break down when heated
• You do not need to put cheese in the soup base, but you can use vegan cheese if desired. Follow Your Heart brand is good
• Instead of bacon, use smoky pecans or cashews (recipe)

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