By Request Betty Shimabukuro

---

Soup tastes like
a ‘loaded’ baked potato

---

Hanne Wilmshurst is from Victoria, Canada, but is a recent visitor to Hawaii, which is how she knew to direct her request here. Wilmshurst is looking for a recipe for Baked Potato Soup, not a local specialty, but definitely enjoyable locally.

The soup is a basic cream soup, much like clam chowder without clams. Its flavors are in the order of a "loaded" baked potato -- sour cream, chives, bacon and cheddar cheese.

This is a kid-friendly dish: smooth, cheesy and familiar in flavor. It is by no means Atkins-friendly, or Shintani-friendly, or any kind of diet-friendly, though. It clocks in at a whopping 500 calories and 32 grams of fat. But, hey, you only live once.

Made right, the soup should begin with baked potatoes, although some recipes suggest the shortcut of microwaving. This also shortcuts flavor, however, and microwaving retains more moisture in the potatoes than baking, which throws off other proportions in the soup.

I say, bake those potatoes the old-fashioned way, even if it does take an hour. You get the bonus of crispy potato skins -- and don't throw those away! Lots of nutrition is in the skins, plus they make great appetizers. Fill with shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes and onion and run under the broiler. Add some sour cream and you'll have restaurant-worthy stuffed potato skins.

To add richness, replace some of the milk in the soup recipe with half-and-half or cream. You can also add more cheese or sour cream. On the other hand, to cut some of the fat, use skim milk and non-fat sour cream.

Baked Potato Soup

4 large russet potatoes
8 slices bacon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup flour
6 cups whole milk, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped chives or green onion
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub potatoes and prick with fork. Bake 1 hour or until tender. Cool.

Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp. Crumble and set aside.

Halve potatoes and scoop out flesh by teaspoons. Set aside. Save skins for another use.

Melt butter over medium-low heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Stir in flour; continue stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. (Don't rush this step or your soup will be lumpy or grainy). Gradually add milk and increase heat to medium-high. Stir until thickened and bubbling, about 10 minutes. Add potato, half the chives, pepper and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted; do not boil. Turn off heat. Add sour cream and stir until smooth. Taste and add salt.

Remove 1 to 2 cups of soup and mash potatoes, or place in blender to purée. Return to soup pot. Or, use an immersion blender to partially purée soup. Garnish bowls of soup with bacon and green onion, plus more cheese, if desired. Serves 8.

Approximate nutrient analysis, per serving (without extra cheese): 500 calories, 32 g total fat, 20 g saturated fat, 90 mg cholesterol, 550 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 15 g protein.

See the Columnists section for some past articles.

Send queries along with name and phone number to:
"By Request," Honolulu Star-Bulletin,
500 Ala Moana, No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813.
Or send e-mail to bshimabukuro@starbulletin.com

Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses in the Body & Soul section indicates calculations by Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.