Serves 4
Ingredients:
Soup:
1 tablespoon Gil’s Double Garlic Olive Oil
3 thick slices bacon, diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 cup yellow onion, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
12oz potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
4oz cream cheese, cut into cubes
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Olive Topping:
3/4 cup Gil’s Tuscan Olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, diced
1 tablespoon Gil’s Double Garlic Olive Oil
2 teaspoons Gil’s Balsamic Vinegar from Modena
3 tablespoons scallions, chopped
Instructions:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add bacon, and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside on a paper towel to drain.
Add garlic and onion to the pot and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the flour, stir to coat the veggies, and continue to cook for 1 minute more. Add broth to the pot, stir to combine, dissolving the flour, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the potatoes, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Once the potatoes are tender, add cream cheese, one cube at a time, waiting until the cream cheese has melted before adding another, gently stirring. Once all the cream cheese has been added, stir in the cheddar cheese, stirring until melted. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Place olives, roasted peppers, oil, balsamic, and scallions in a small bowl, and stir to combine.
Divide soup between bowls, top with bacon and olive topping before serving.