So I got one of those nifty little immersion blenders for Christmas and it was perfect for making this soup. I pureed boiled potatoes with sauteed spinach and garlic before topping with crunchy bacon and creamy goat cheese crumbles. If you are looking for a truly comforting soup this is it.

Serves 6

You will need:

• 5 russet potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled, diced into 1 inch pieces
• 4 slices of bacon, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 9 ounces of baby spinach
• 3-4 cups of chicken broth depending on desired consistency
• goat cheese crumbles for topping (you can find these in the specialty cheese section at your local grocery store)

1. Place potatoes in a large pot and add enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil and boil until they are fork tender; about 6 minutes. Strain.
2. In another large pot, cook the bacon until it is crispy and brown. Remove the bacon, and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of pan drippings.
3. In the same pot that you cooked the bacon in add the onions and garlic and cook 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until it beings to wilt. (Note: The spinach will get smaller as it wilts, so if your pot isn’t big enough to fit all of the spinach in at once, just wait until some starts to wilt and then add more.)
4. Once the spinach as started to wilt, add the potatoes and chicken broth to the pan.  (Note: I used 3 cups of chicken broth and my soup was pretty thick, if you want it a bit thinner use 4 cups)
5. Use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. (Note: I don’t have a regular blender, shocking I know, but my kitchen is just too small. You could use a regular blender or food processor for this but you will probably have to do it in batches. If it cools down a bit just return it to the pan and heat.) Top with crumbled bacon and goat cheese.

For those of you that aren’t fans of bacon you can omit it and substitute 2 tablespoons of olive oil for the bacon drippings.

Enjoy!