Bacon and Kale Potato Soup Crock-pot Style
First Option: I cooked the potatoes, carrots in water filed stock pot on medium heat boiled until slightly tender and drain off water.
Then in a sauté pan on medium heat sauté the onions 1-2 minutes and adding the garlic the last minute. Then add the kale to the sautéed onions and garlic, warm until barely wilting, combine with all the rest of the soup ingredients. Now pour all the soup ingredients in a crock-pot with liner added using a twist tie to close. Place liner with soup ingredients in a sealable plastic container with lid and refrigerated overnight until the ready to heat and serve. (When ready place crock-pot liner with soup into the crock-pot and cook on low for 2-3 hours.)
*Note that you can place and cook all of the ingredients in a crock pot at once on low for 6 hours.
Second Option: Add 1/2 cup chopped, sautéed green cabbage and 1 washed, cleaned Leek, chopped for a more Irish type soup.
*4 medium Russets Potatoes, diced (We used Yukon Gold and Red Pontiac Potatoes)
*4 Celery Stalks, diced
*4 medium Carrots, diced
*2 cups chopped Kale, wilted
*1/2 Onion, minced
*2 Cloves Garlic, minced or pressed
*12 pieces cooked Bacon, chopped
*32 ounces Chicken Broth, more if needed
*Sea Salt and Ground Pepper
*1/2 cup Whipping Cream OR (1 cup 1 percent Milk and using a emulsion blender, blend 1 heaping cup cooked potato soup mixture and re-added to soup as thickener)
Toppings/garnish
*Freshly grated Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Cheddar Cheese or cheese of choice
*Chopped Green Onions
In a crock-pot with liner, set on low, add all the above ingredients and cook 6 hours or until potatoes are tender or (See the above for first option for cooking the vegetables before putting in crock-pot.)
Enjoy!
Lindy
