Loaded baked potato soup

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• 6 each rashers of smoked streaky bacon
• 1 each onion finely chopped
• 2 each garlic cloves chopped
• 750 ml whole milk
• 500 ml chicken stock
• 1 kg Maris Piper potatoes peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes
• 75 g soured cream plus extra to serve
• 150 g mature cheddar coarsely grated, plus extra to serve
• 2 each spring onions finely sliced on the diagonal
• 15 g chives finely chopped
• As Needed Salt
• As Needed Black pepper

1. Arrange the bacon in a single layer in a large, deep frying pan, then turn the heat to medium. Cook for 7-8 mins, flipping halfway through, until very crisp. Remove from the pan using tongs, then drain on kitchen paper. Roughly chop, then set aside.
2. Cook the onion in the leftover bacon fat in the pan for 8-10 mins over a medium heat until the onion is softening and golden at the edges. Stir the garlic in during the final few minutes. Pour in the milk and chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then stir in the chopped potatoes. Reduce the heat to a simmer, then cook for 10 mins until the potatoes are very tender and fall apart when pressed with a fork. Blitz the soup using a hand blender – leave it slightly chunky, or blitz until completely smooth.
3. Stir in the soured cream and cheese, stirring until both have melted through (return the pan to the heat briefly if they are not melting). Season with salt and pepper.
4. Ladle the soup into bowls, then top with a spoonful of soured cream, some chopped bacon bits, spring onions, chives and a little more cheese, if you like.