Cold Weather Cream Cheese Potato Soup

Rosebud Cottage Facebook Notes - Click to see more notes

Heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add and sauté the following for about 10 minutes:
6 to 8 large baking potatoes, cubed
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped coarsely
3 celery ribs, chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic
Cover the vegetables with 2-3 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat; cover and simmer about twenty minutes until potatoes are fork tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and strain or separate the vegetables from the broth. Return the broth to the pot and add 16 ounces of softened cream cheese, blending until smooth. Add half of the vegetable mixture back into the broth. Mash (with a potato masher) the other half of the vegetables and return them to the pot as well. Return to heat until ready to serve. Top with: grated cheddar cheese, bacon bits, chopped chives, sour cream- yummm-delicious!