Irish-Style Potato Onion Soup

Thick and rich Irish soups and stews are beloved dishes that stem from centuries of culinary tradition. Filling and flavorful, these dishes are served in restaurants and pubs all over the country and made with family recipes in kitchens all over Ireland. Though the variations are infinite, and plenty of versions of the same dish appear left and right, what all these soups and stews have in common are the basic ingredients they all might contain in one form or the other: potatoes, onions, leeks, root vegetables, rich dairy, and all sorts of land and sea proteins. Our potato and onion recipe comes thanks to the famous chef Jeff Smith. It's a wonderfully creamy soup made with a base of chicken stock and herbs, thickened with roux. Topped with fresh chives and crispy bacon, this is a one-of-a-kind, one-bowl meal. Quickly made in just 35 minutes, it makes an easy weeknight dinner. Keep the leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat on the stove, adding more chicken stock as needed.

With infinite possible combinations, Irish soups warm bellies during cold winter months and make budget-friendly meals. This soup is meant to be blended, so the potatoes need to be cooked to soft perfection before being processed. We recommend using Yukon gold, russets or fingerlings, as they add a lot of creaminess to the soup. No matter the potato you choose, peel and cut in even slices to ensure the cooking time of all slices stays the same. This is a dairy-full recipe and it contains gluten. For a gluten-free version, be sure the chicken stock you are using is indeed gluten-free (many broths have wheat-based ingredients used as thickeners) and simply make the roux with a gluten-free all-purpose flour that converts in a 1:1 ratio to conventional wheat flours.

Skip the bacon for a vegetarian version, or add chopped sauteed prawns (4 to 5 large ones per person) or diced cooked lobster (about 3 ounces per person) for a more elegant take on this flavorful dish. Usually served with thick slices of bread, the soup goes well with warm slices of Irish soda or Veda bread, or some blaa rolls—plenty of butter is welcomed too.