Pesto Potato Soup is absolutely awesome. This soup is filled with red potatoes, carrots, leeks, & bell peppers and seasoned with basil pesto sauce, parmesan cheese and bacon. It's terrific for fall or winter nights and certainly nice enough to serve for company. We love this recipe!
1leekgreen top removed, thoroughly washed and sliced
1red bell pepperchopped
2largecarrotspeeled and thinly sliced
2ribscelerydiced
2/3tsp.pink Himalayan sea salt or more, to taste
1/4tsp.ground black pepperor more, to taste
4slicesbaconcrisp fried, broken into bite-sized pieces
1tbsp.fresh basilfor garnish
1/3cupfresh Parmesan cheeseshredded, for garnish
PESTO RED POTATOES:
2.5lbs.red potatoeschunked (unpeeled
10oz. jarpesto sauce
1cupparmesan cheeseshredded
Instructions
PESTO RED POTATOES:
Prepare Pesto Red Potatoes.
Wash and cube 2 ½ lbs. red potatoes; place in a medium mixing bowl.
Add an 8-oz. jar basil pesto and stir to combine.
Spread onto a greased cookie sheet or large baking dish sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.
Sprinkle one cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese over top.
Cover with foil.
Bake at 350° for about 35-45 minutes or until potatoes test done with a fork.
Set aside until ready to use in recipe below.
SOUP:
While potatoes are baking, fry bacon.
Set aside.
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat.
Add onion, leek, red bell pepper, carrots and celery.
Season generously with salt and pepper.
Sauté about 5-10 minutes until veggies are tender and a fork pierces through the carrot slices easily.
You can also cover the ingredients with a lid to speed up the process a little.
Stir in flour.
Slowly add half-and-half a few tablespoons at a time and whisk until each addition is fully incorporated.
Reduce heat and allow sauce to thicken, about 5-10 minutes.
Stir in Pesto Red Potatoes.
Check seasoning.
Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with bacon pieces, shredded parmesan cheese and fresh basil, as desired.
Notes
NOTE: If you want the bacon to flavor the soup, omit the butter and sauté the veggies in bacon grease instead.NOTE: I usually microwave the bacon on a plate between two paper towels about one minute per slice. If the bacon is really thick, I add additional time.NOTE: Cook time and preparation time does NOT include time required to make the Pesto Red Potatoes.NOTE: You can also use regular flour if you don't need to keep the recipe gluten free.