Potato Pumpkin Soup with Bacon

Instructions

1. Peel and dice your potatoes

2. Add them to a medium pot and cover with cold water

3. Bring to a simmer and let cook until the potatoes are fork tender (try not to let the water boil, just simmer)

4. Meanwhile, heat a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat

5. Chop your bacon into lardones (basically just chopped bacon) and add it to your pot

6. Let the bacon cook until it is golden brown and crispy

7. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on top of several layers of paper towels to drain

8. Reserve 1/4 cup of the bacon fat, and discard the rest

9. Put the 1/4 cup of fat back into the pot, and add 1/4 cup of flour

10. Whisk together until it is smooth, and let it cook for a minute just so the raw flour taste cooks out

11. Add the chicken stock and milk

12. Bring the soup to a simmer and let it cook until it is slightly thickened

13. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper

14. Once your potatoes are cooked, dump them into a colander and drain all the water off

15. Add them to your soup (once the soup is already thickened) and puree with an immersion blender

16. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a food processor or regular blender for this step

17. Whisk in your pumpkin puree. Start with 3/4 cup of puree, and add more to taste. I ended up thinking 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons was the perfect amount