Creamy Peanut Butter & Bacon Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 slices bacon (diced and fried)
1 onion, diced
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
chopped green onion (optional)

Preparation

Dice bacon strips and fry until crispy; remove the bacon pieces & reserve 3 tablespoons bacon grease.
Dice 1 onion (medium to large) and cook in the reserved bacon grease until onions are soft and translucent.
Add 3 cups of chicken stock.
Add 1 cup of half and half (can also use 2% milk).
Add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (more or less to taste).
Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt (more or less to taste).
Add 1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter.
Optional: toss the crispy bacon bits back in the soup pot (healthy? not in this kitchen! And it tastes so good.).
Stir until combined and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If you like a creamy soup, you can use a stick blender on this to blend in the onions.
Serve hot, with an optional garnish of chopped green onions.