I’m currently knee-deep into Lorena – a four-part documentary series about Lorena Bobbitt. I should say that even though it’s named for Lorena Bobbitt, it really talks about all aspects of that story. Also by knee-deep, I mean I’m on the last part of it. It’s raining as I watch it and I could really use a bowl of this hash brown soup. Instead, I think we’re ordering calzones and I can get with that.
OK back to Lorena. I remember this story vividly. It also happened in Virginia though, not near where I grew up. The whole story was completely polarizing on top of all of the other elements (sad, unbelievable, shocking…the list goes on). There are a lot of details about the case that I don’t remember or maybe it wasn’t mentioned back in the day that the documentary covers. If you’re interested, try watching; it’s available on Amazon Prime.
Lorena is definitely infuriating at times but for me, it wasn’t nearly as maddening as Abducted in Plain Sight. There’s not enough hash brown soup in the world for me to go into that documentary right now. Have you watched it? It is truly bizarre.
Hash brown soup: cure for a rainy day
I think I love most varieties of potato soup (example 1 and example two). Throw some cheese in these soups and it’s even better when you throw in a mound of cheese. Everything is better with cheese, though, right? Honestly, today’s soup is variation of the two soups I shared above – if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
I originally found this recipe from The Cookie Rookie while trolling around on Pinterest (duh) and naturally, when the temperatures dropped a little, I ran to the kitchen to make it. I feel like I say that quite often but you can get creative with the toppings on this soup. Do yourself a favor and make it please.
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon slices cut into 1/8 inch slices
- 4 carrots peeled, shredded
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 package frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon herb mixture: parsley, oregano & basil
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup gruyere, grated
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- Optional garnishes: crackers, additional cheese, chives, shredded carrots, etc.
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. You'll use the bacon as a garnish for later.
- Remove all but 2 tablespoons of bacon grease from pan. Return pan to heat and sauté shredded carrots and onions until onions are translucent and carrots have softened.
- Sprinkle flour over sautéed onions and carrots, mix well and cook 30 seconds.
- Add chicken stock, seasonings, hash browns and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until potatoes are tender.
- Add cream and milk and cook 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add cheese and stir until cheese melts. Taste the soup, and if needed, add more salt and other seasonings. Serve immediately.
