Bacon and Pierogi Soup

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: North American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 1 5

Servings: servings

Calories: 617kcal

Author: Lord Byron's Kitchen

Bacon and Pierogi Soup starts with crispy, fried bacon being tossed with fragrant rosemary. Next, aromatic vegetables like carrots, onions, and celery are added to the pot with garlic and thyme. Frozen pierogies are added and cooked in a thick soup with shredded cheese. Ladle up a big bowl and top it with that rosemary-infused bacon, sour cream, and more cheese. This soup recipe is certainly a keeper!

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Ingredients

1 pound thick cut bacon, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups whole milk
2 cups frozen chopped kale
2 pounds frozen pierogies
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

In a heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon until well done and slightly crisp. Transfer the bacon to a bowl, straining away the grease. Add the chopped fresh rosemary to the bowl and toss with the still-warm bacon. Set aside.
Drain all of the bacon grease out of the pot but do not wipe the pot clean. Leave any stuck bacon bits in the pot too.
Add the olive oil, butter, onions, carrots, and celery to the pot. Over medium heat, stir and cook the vegetables for 5-7 minutes.
Add the salt, ground black pepper, minced garlic, and fresh thyme leaves. Stir well and cook for 3 minutes.
Next, stir in the flour until well absorbed. Once no trace of the flour remains, continue to cook the flour with the onions and garlic mixture for 3 minutes.
Pour in the vegetable broth half a cup at a time, whisking it well into the flour mixture after each addition.
Next, pour in the milk half a cup at at time, continuing to whisk well after each addition.
Continue to cook for 3-5 minutes until the sauce mixture thickens.
Add the frozen pierogies and the frozen chopped kale to the pot. Stir well to incorporate and cook until the soup returns to a simmer. Stir often to prevent the pierogies from settling and sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Once the soup comes back to a low simmer, continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Finally, add the shredded cheese. Stir to combine and cook just until the cheese is melted.
Plate the soup and top with the rosemary-infused bacon crumbles.
Additional optional toppings include a drizzle of sour cream, more shredded cheese, and a sprig of fresh rosemary.

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