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Pesto Potato Soup

Teresa Ambra
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!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Soup, Stews and Chowders
Cuisine American
Servings 10
Calories 689 kcal

Ingredients
  

SOUP:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (see note below)
  • 1/2 cup gluten free flour
  • 1 qt. half-and-half
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 leek green top removed, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 2 large carrots peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 ribs celery diced
  • pink Himalayan sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 slices bacon crisp fried, broken into bite-sized pieces
  • fresh basil for garnish
  • fresh Parmesan cheese shredded, for garnish

PESTO RED POTATOES:

  • 2.5 lbs. red potatoes chunked (unpeeled
  • 1 10-oz. jar pesto sauce
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded

Instructions
 

PESTO RED POTATOES:

  • Prepare Pesto Red Potatoes.
  • Wash and cube 2 ½ lbs. red potatoes.
  • 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.
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
[nutrition-label]

Nutrition

Calories: 689kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 16gFat: 52gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 1156mgPotassium: 658mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 5350IUVitamin C: 66mgCalcium: 420mgIron: 1.8mg
Keyword bacon, carrots, cheese, gluten free, main dish, parmesan cheese, pesto, potatoes, soup
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