Alright, folks, let’s talk about something that warms the soul – O’Charley’s potato soup. Now, I’ve had my fair share of potato soups, but there’s something special about the one from O’Charley’s. So, I got this crazy idea to try and make it myself. Let me tell you, it was quite the adventure!
Getting Started
First things first, I needed to figure out what goes into this magical soup. I did some digging, looked up a bunch of recipes, and kinda mixed and matched what seemed right. I started with a basic list.
- Potatoes, obviously – I went with Russets ’cause they’re nice and starchy.
- Chicken broth – the base of our soup, got a big carton of it.
- Onions and garlic – can’t have soup without these guys.
- Butter and flour – for that creamy goodness, gonna make a roux.
- Milk and heavy cream – more creaminess, because why not?
- Cheese – cheddar, because it’s the best.
- Bacon – everything’s better with bacon, right?
- Salt, pepper, and some other spices – gotta have that flavor.
The Cooking Process
So, I started by chopping up the potatoes. I kept the pieces kinda small, so they’d cook faster. Then, I diced the onions and minced the garlic. Melted some butter in a big pot and threw in the onions and garlic to cook ’em until they were soft. Next, I sprinkled in the flour and kept stirring – that’s our roux, the thickener.
Slowly, I poured in the chicken broth, making sure to stir it all up so it wouldn’t get lumpy. Then, the potatoes went in. Brought the whole thing to a boil and then let it simmer until the potatoes were nice and tender.
The Creamy Dreamy Part
Once the potatoes were cooked, I took out about half of the soup and blended it until it was smooth. I used one of those immersion blenders, way easier. Poured the blended part back into the pot, added the milk and heavy cream, and just let it all warm up together.
Then, the best part – cheese! I grated a whole bunch of cheddar and stirred it in until it was all melted and gooey. Seasoned it with salt, pepper, and a pinch of some other spices I had in the cupboard.
The Finishing Touches
While the soup was getting all happy, I cooked up some bacon until it was crispy, then crumbled it up. Ladled the soup into bowls, topped it with the bacon crumbles, some extra cheese, and a bit of green onion for color.
The Verdict
And there it was, my homemade version of O’Charley’s potato soup. It smelled amazing, and let me tell you, it tasted pretty darn close to the original. It was creamy, cheesy, and just all-around delicious. Was it exactly like O’Charley’s? Maybe not, but it was close enough and definitely satisfied my craving. Plus, I made it myself, which always makes it taste a bit better, right?
So, if you’re a fan of O’Charley’s potato soup, give this a try. It’s a bit of work, but totally worth it. And hey, you might even like your version better! Happy cooking, folks!
