Friends and family living in various locales north of us (hell, almost everybody lives north of us currently) have already experienced the first couple blasts of serious winter weather this year.
Jake and friends in Bozeman have seen temps dip into the -20 something range, which tends to make cars and people a bit cranky. There’s already been some decent snow in town and the usual shoulder season ice to go along with it.
Reflexly She Who Must Obeyed has been nudging for us to move soups back into our rotation of late, prompted much more by the calendar than temperatures in our neighborhood (it’s been in the low 70s all week).
She’s not the only one thinking it’s soup season again.
Friend Joe P. emailed for this Spicy Bacon Buttermilk Potato Soup recipe this week; it’s one we’d shared on a fall run to the South Fork of the Snake a few years back. We made this our first night in camp (drive day), then reheated it the next morning and loaded into thermoses for lunch on the river. The soup is better pureed smooth though a potato masher works pretty well in camp.
That day started off as one of those almost too good to true fall days in the Rockies; morning temperatures were in the mid-forties, it quickly warmed to shirt sleeve weather by mid-morning. By two it was raining to beat hell and quickly transitioned to a near blinding snowstorm, dropping 4 inches or better by the time we hit the takeout (and making for an interesting boat extraction and load – always carry an extra winch strap or line).
The soup saved the day.
There are a hoard of recipes similar to this one out there, seems like everybody’s mama or grandmother made something similar, though the buttermilk adds a nice touch here.
2-3 medium roasted jalapeno chiles, seeded and stemmed
6-7 slices thick-cut bacon, applewood smoked if you can
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
5 cups chicken or turkey broth
2 and 1/2 lb. Russet potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. cumin (or more to taste)
1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
2/3 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup half and half
Salt and pepper to tasteToppings: Shredded sharp cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese, sour cream, more chopped cilantro, chopped chives or green onions, crispy tortilla strips…
Prep work. Roast your jalapenos, stem and seed when cool (we like to leave the charred skin on), dice small. Prep and chop the celery, onion, carrot, garlic and spuds.
Fry the bacon. Fry the bacon until crisp; drain and set aside.
Now make a soup. Transfer 2 tbsp. or so of bacon drippings to your large soup pot or dutch oven. Over medium heat sauté the celery, onions, and carrot until soft (6 or 7 minutes); add the garlic and sauté another minute. Now add the broth, spuds, cayenne and cumin and bring to a boil; then turn down to simmer uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes or until the spuds are fork tender.
Puree it in the pot. Using a stick blender, puree in the pot to your desired consistency (or do in batches in conventional blender, though let it cool for 1- to 15 minutes first!). We like to leave a bit of texture in the soup, though some like it smooth and uniform.
Now stir in the buttermilk, half and half, roasted jalapeno, crumbled bacon and cilantro. Warm to serving temperature over low heat (7 or 8 minutes), adjust the seasonings and thin with the liquid of your choice (it’s a thick soup).
Serve. Ladle into bowls, let everyone cover with the toppings of their choice and go to it.
Enjoy.
