Bacon, Tomato, and Cheddar Chowder

This is the soup I made last week and the recipe comes from this cookbook.  It is simple to execute and tastes amazing!  Read through this post and have all your prep work done before you start this recipe. As always, cooking times may vary.

First, you'll need to dice one pound of super thick bacon.  Putting it in the freezer for a few minutes will make it easier to cut.

 Warm a large pot over medium-low heat and add the bacon.  You want to cook the bacon slowly, rendering the fat and not burning the proteins in the meat.  We'll be using the fat to cook the vegetables in the next step.

Now we need to cut our aromatic vegetables, called mire poix (the classic French combination of carrots, onions, and celery).  Today we're dicing two shallots, two small carrots, and two stalks of celery. The recipe calls for 1 stalk of celery but mine were on the small side and I LOVE celery so I usually add a bit more. 

Once the bacon is done remove it to a plate and add 1 Tbls. of canola oil.  Raise the heat to medium-high.   Sauté the veggies until fragrant, about 5-8 minutes.

Shown below are 2 cloves minced garlic and 5 seeded and diced vine ripe tomatoes.  These were on the small side so I used 5.  If you find large tomatoes use less.  The third bowl has 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, 1 Tbsp. flour and 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme.  If you're using fresh thyme double the amount.
You'll also need to dice 1 large potato.  This will be used later in the recipe.  After dicing put it in a bowl of water to avoid the potato turning brown from oxidation.

When the mire poix is done add the garlic and flour mixture to the pot and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

After the garlic and flour is cooked add the tomatoes and 32 oz. of chicken stock and bring to a simmer.

Once a simmer is reached add the bacon and potato to the pot, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.  Taste the soup and adjust your seasonings as needed with salt and pepper.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 8 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese, 4 ounces at time.  Before you do - this part isn't in the book - coat your cheese with a spoonful or two of corn starch.  This will help the cheese mix into the soup better and prevent it from breaking, wherein the cheese falls to the bottom and the oils rise to the top. (thank you to Chefs Robert and Brady from The Club for this tip!)

This is what it should look like when you're finished.  Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!

What soup is your favorite to eat during these cold, winter months?  Okay, maybe it's not too cold down here in the South but it's sure good to eat anyway, right?