Potato Girl

I am hands down a potato girl, I consider it the Irish in me. I love my potatoes any which way you serve them, baked, fried, you name it, I will eat it, I don't discriminate with my potatoes. When I saw this recipe in cooking light I knew I had to try it, plus I also happened to have a big bag of potatoes on hand. How could you go wrong with loaded potato soup and it was low fat, no heavy cream involved.

This soup could not have been any easier to make, it literally took about 20 minutes to cook and assemble. The end result was delicious, I was pleasantly surprised at how good it turned out, with the coarsely mashed potatoes and the crispy, crunchy bacon on top (which was cooked in the microwave - I was so skeptical of this, who knew), when you top it with the bacon, cheese and scallions it completes the soup. I can tell already this is a delicious soup which I will absolutely be making again. Here's the recipe:

Loaded Potato Soup 
Source: Cooking Light (October 2010)

4  (6-ounce) red potatoes
2  teaspoons  olive oil
1/2  cup prechopped onion
1 1/4  cups low sodium chicken broth
3  tablespoons all-purpose flour
2  cups  1% low-fat milk, divided
1/4  cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2  teaspoon salt
1/4  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3  bacon slices, halved
1/3  cup shredded cheddar cheese
4  teaspoons thinly sliced green onions

Pierce potatoes with a fork. Microwave on high 13 minutes or until tender. Cut in half; cool slightly. While potatoes cook, heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add broth. Combine flour and 1/2 cup milk; add to pan with 1 1/2 cups milk. Bring to a boil; stir often. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream, salt, and pepper. Arrange bacon on a paper towel on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with a paper towel; microwave on high for 4 minutes. Crumble bacon. Discard potato skins. Coarsely mash potatoes into soup. Top with cheese, green onions, and bacon. Enjoy!