Ingredients:
4 russet potatoes, about 2 pounds
1 Tablespoon olive or grapeseed oil
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 cups of 1 or 2% milk
1 cup of vegetable stock or broth
1 cup of reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of reduced-fat sour cream
1 large tomato, chopped
4 cooked slices of bacon, crumbled
1 cup of shredded/chopped lettuce
2 scallions

Directions:
1. Clean the potatoes and pierce, with a fork, 3-4 times around each potato. Place them on a microwave-safe plate, loosely wrap them with a moist paper towel on top and then microwave on high for 5 minutes. Check to see if they are soft and if not, microwave in 2 minutes increments until soft. Set aside to cool a bit.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium heat and then add the onion and celery, sauteing for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute an additional minutes.

3. Remove the skin from the potatoes, scoop the flesh into a large bowl and mash the potato with a masher or fork. Scatter the flour over the onion-garlic mixture in the pot and whisk together. Add in the milk and stock and mix well, allowing to cook for about 5 minutes until it has thickened.

4.  Lower the heat to low and add in the mashed potatoes, cheese and sour cream and allow to cook for 8-10 minutes.

5. Taste and then season with salt and pepper. Using an immersion blender, pulse the soup to your preferred consistency. Ladle into bowls and top with bacon, lettuce, tomato and scallions.