“Simple, but sumptuous” or, “Rustic-luxe”. That’s what I would call this soup. It’s nice to be invited over to friend’s house for dinner — you get to discover new dishes, recipes, techniques, and the sources from which they come. This soup, for example, comes from friend Michael H., by way of taste.com.au. His soup was a fine start for a terrific meal. And on your table, it’s easy enough for any week night or elegant enough for company.
This soup is a bit reminiscent of flavors from New Orleans with either bacon, pancetta, guanciale, or speck. Whichever you choose, be sure it’s smoky — that’s what makes this soup special.
In its essence, this soup is broth or stock of your choice, potatoes, an onion and rendered pork (again, your choice of which type) all gently cooked, then finely blended until creamy. To offset the sumptuousness of the soup you can add a nice tangy dollop of sour cream, yogurt, or creme fraiche along with a sprinkling of herbs such as chives, tarragon, or basil.
From the type of broth, pork, and the garnishes you choose, you’ll see that this soup is customizable so that you can make it a new each time. Serve it with a nice, thick-crusted rustic bread, such as my Nearly No-knead bread.
Arliano Update (Aggiornamento Arliano):
[ x ] Install Kitchen [ x ] Install entry door and windows. Both done, but not without their challenges.
We’re nearing the finish line with the rental house renovations. Now on to furnishings (Fun fact: “Arredare” in Italian means to furnish or decorate a house) the best part. More than a year ago from Facebook Marketplace I bought a suite of antique furniture including two twin beds, a wardrobe and a marble top dresser with a mirror. These were inspired by a B&B we stayed at in Montepulciano, Italy a few years ago, a very traditional Tuscan style. I knew each piece would need restoring (a quick sanding, priming and painting), but now we have doubts that they will fit in the space. Will all this work turn into future firewood? We’ll see!
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Smoky Potato and Rendered Pork Soup
Ingredients
- 100 grams chopped bacon, speck, or smoked pancetta (about 1 cup when raw and loosely placed in a 1-cup measuring cup)
- 2 pounds (1 kg) starchy potatoes (e.g. Russet), peeled and diced into 1-inch (3 cm) cubes. NOTE: Using starchy, not waxy, potatoes makes a big difference in this soup. The starch builds the soup’s body and texture properly, whereas waxy potatoes won’t to the same extent
- 1 medium red onion, finely minced
- 2 garlic cloves crushed and minced
- 6 cups (about 1,400 ml) vegetable, beef or chicken stock
- 1/4 cup (65 grams) Greek yogurt, sour cream, or crème fraiche for garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives, basil or tarragon
- 1 tablespoon olive
Directions
- Place olive oil and speck/bacon/pancetta in a stock pot large enough to hold 6 cups of liquid and fry the pork over medium heat until crispy. Remove the pork from the pot but keep the rendered fat
- Using the same pot, add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently until they are nearly translucent (about 7 minutes). Add the potatoes to the pot with the onions and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute
- Raising the heat to high, add the stock to the pot with the potatoes and onions and bring it to a boil. Once the stock is boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender (if the tip if a knife pierces and goes through a potato, they are ready). Use an immersion blender to finely blend all the pan ingredients until you reach a creamy consistency. Alternatively, transfer all ingredients to a regular blender or leak-proof food processor and blend
- Pour the soup into six serving bowls and add a dollop of the yogurt/sour cream/crème fraiche along with the chopped herbs and serve
Greg Nelson Cooks 
Sounds absolutely delicious, I will give it a try. So glad your renovations are moving forward. My family is talking about a possible visit to Italy next year. Would love to put you on our visit list.🙂
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