Add them to a medium pot and cover with cold water
Bring to a simmer and let cook until the potatoes are fork tender (try not to let the water boil, just simmer)
Meanwhile, heat a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat
Chop your bacon into lardones (basically just chopped bacon) and add it to your pot
Let the bacon cook until it is golden brown and crispy
Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on top of several layers of paper towels to drain
Reserve 1/4 cup of the bacon fat, and discard the rest
Put the 1/4 cup of fat back into the pot, and add 1/4 cup of flour
Whisk together until it is smooth, and let it cook for a minute just so the raw flour taste cooks out
Add the chicken stock and milk
Bring the soup to a simmer and let it cook until it is slightly thickened
Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
Once your potatoes are cooked, dump them into a colander and drain all the water off
Add them to your soup (once the soup is already thickened) and puree with an immersion blender
If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a food processor or regular blender for this step
Whisk in your pumpkin puree. Start with 3/4 cup of puree, and add more to taste. I ended up thinking 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons was the perfect amount
Taste the soup and add any extra seasoning that you feel it needs
Ladle the soup into bowls, and top with bacon, a small dollop of Greek yogurt, and a little extra black pepper.
**If you want to make this recipe vegetarian, you can easily cut out the bacon topping, substitute the 1/4 cup bacon fat with 1/4 cup butter, and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.**