creamy potato soup with crisped prosciutto

gooood mernin’, happy monday, welcome to the world this week *peeks out from under the covers, decides to stay under them.* now okay, hear me out, the only thing better than staying in bed after the sunday scares threatened to swallow you whole is the promise of super comforting, super cozy, super creamy potato soup, topped with crispy prosciutto and bright, bitter chives, with a loaf of crusty, golden bread to dunk, repeat.

not so bad, right? coooome on out. we can do it.

i love this soup for a lot of reasons, but what i love the most about it is it’s supreme simplicity; it’s an absolute back to basics, warms-you-up-from-the-inside hug in a bowl. the kind of thing you’d make for someone who needs a little pick-me-up (all of us right now, no?) or when the need for comfort food is all your belly and your heart can think about. on monday’s, during the fall, all of 2020, etc etc etc.

a few notes before we get started:
- there are a few ways you can tweak this that i explain a little more in the recipe notes. you can skip the roux if you’re gluten-free, skip the prosciutto if plant-based eating is your jam. I haven’t tried any substitutions, but it’s really hard to muff up soup. i believe in you.
- blending a portion of the soup is keeeeey for it’s creaminess. that’s a non-negotiable here.
- if you’re serving this to other people, don’t skip the bread. the ooooohs and aaaahs will 100% come from crunchy, buttery bread dunking.

creamy potato soup with crisped prosciutto
makes: 4-6 servings
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 30-40 minutes

1 1/2lbs yukon gold potatoes, quartered (or smaller if you’ve got huge ones)
1 onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 package prosciutto, divided (you’ll use half for adding to the soup base, half for crisping on top. you can use bacon if that’s easier, too!)
2tbsp flour (for a roux; very optional)
2tsp salt
2tsp black pepper
1tsp onion powder
1tsp ground sage
5-6c broth or stock
1/2c milk, any kind will do
2tbsp olive oil
chives, for garnish
crusty bread, for dunking

heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. add the onion, carrots, garlic, and saute for few minutes until fragrant. thinly slice half the prosciutto, and add it to the pot along with the spices. then, add the potatoes and saute for another 5 minutes. next, add the flour, and stir until it coats the veggies (again, this is optional, but it will make the soup thiccc.)

add the broth, and simmer for 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. a few minutes before the end, add the milk.

using a large spoon or ladle, remove about 3/4 of the vegetables and all the broth, and transfer it to a blender. blend until smooth, then, add the thickened mixture back to the remaining vegetables. **if you don’t want any potato chunks and prefer a completely creamy soup, go full send and blend it all!

*meanwhile, if you are adding the crisped prosciutto to the top - re: DO IT - preheat the oven to 400.
place the remaining prosciutto slices on a baking sheet, and bake for 5ish minutes. watch them closely so they don’t over-crisp. crumble the prosciutto on top of the finished soup, sprinkle each bowl with fresh chives, and tear off a crust of bread for maximum dunking.