Potato And Lovage Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 slices bacon
1 cup sweet onion, chopped finely
3 -4 yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cleaned and cubed (you can also use more if you like a chunkier soup)
2 tablespoons butter, if needed
2 medium bay leaves
2 stalks fresh lovage, with leaves washed and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 quart chicken stock (more if needed to cover ingredients)
1 quart whole milk
fresh lovage, leaves (to garnish) or fresh parsley (to garnish)

Preparation

In a large saucepan begin by cooking your bacon slowly, until crisp. Remove bacon to a side dish and crumble it when cooled.
In the bacon grease add your chopped onion and saute till translucent. Now remove your onion to the bacon dish.
Add your cubed potatoes to the remaining grease. Add the butter if the bacon grease is not sufficient. Saute until the potato cubes are a little golden but not cooked all the way through.
Now add your bacon, onions, bay leaves, chicken stock, and salt and pepper. Cook this until your potatoes are thoroughly cooked, about 15-20 minutes.
Then add your chopped lovage and cook for 10 more minutes or until lovage is tender.
Finally add your milk and bring back to temperature without boiling or the milk may curdle.
For a creamier consistency take an immersion blender and partially blend the soup, leaving about 50% of the potatoes whole. Add lovage leaves or fresh parsley for garnish. Serve.