Creamy Smoky Beef Potato Soup (Printable version)
Rich, hearty soup with tender beef, smoky bacon, and creamy potatoes—ready in 1 hour.
# What you need:
→ Meats
01 - 14 oz beef chuck or stewing beef, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
02 - 2 slices smoked bacon, diced
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 lb potatoes, peeled and diced
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 carrots, diced
07 - 2 celery stalks, diced
→ Dairy
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Liquids
10 - 4 cups beef broth
11 - 1/2 cup whole milk
→ Spices & Seasonings
12 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
15 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
→ Garnish
16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
17 - Extra black pepper, to taste
# How To:
01 - In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the diced smoked bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
02 - Add the beef cubes to the bacon fat in the pot. Sear until well browned on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove and set aside with the cooked bacon.
03 - Melt the butter in the same pot. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
04 - Stir in the diced potatoes, smoked paprika, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes to toast the spices and coat the vegetables evenly.
05 - Return the seared beef and crispy bacon to the pot. Pour in the beef broth and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the beef and potatoes are fork-tender.
06 - Stir in the heavy cream and whole milk. Simmer uncovered for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup is creamy and slightly thickened.
07 - Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley and an extra pinch of black pepper.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The smoky depth from bacon and paprika makes it taste like it cooked over an open fire, even though your stove did all the work.
- Potatoes and cream together create this velvety texture that makes everyone at the table go quiet after the first spoonful.
02 -
- If you rush the bacon rendering and crank the heat too high, it will crisp on the outside while leaving chewy strips of fat that never quite cook through.
- Mashing a handful of the cooked potatoes right in the pot before adding cream creates a naturally thick body that no roux or cornstarch can match.
03 -
- Pat the beef completely dry with paper towels before searing, because any surface moisture will steam the meat instead of letting it develop that deep brown crust.
- Add a tiny pinch of smoked paprika to the cream before you pour it in, which distributes the smoky flavor more evenly throughout the finished soup.