Chop the garlic: Slice the roots of 2 garlic cloves, press them down with a knife, and peel away. Chop them finely and measure out about 1/2 tbsp garlic.

Chop the onion: Slice an onion in half, put one half away in the fridge, and peel the other half. Chop that half and measure out 2 oz.

Chop the celery: Slice the leaves off a celery stalk and put it away. Half the stalk lengthwise, and chop both halves. Measure out 1 oz celery.

Cut the potatoes: Peel 18 oz potatoes with a peeler, cut them into quarters, then half each quarter. Select the pieces that are larger than the rest and half them once again.

Shred the cheese: Shred some cheddar cheese with a grater and measure out 0.5 oz.

Prepare the bacon: Pan-fry some bacon (both sides) on medium heat until golden brown, and put the bacon fat away for later use. Slice the bacon lengthwise into 4-5 thin strips, chop the strips finely, and measure out 0.5 oz.

Chop the scallions: Finely chop some scallions and measure out 2 tbsp.

Cook the aromatics: Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pot over medium heat. Add 1/2 tbsp garlic and 2 oz chopped onion to the pot, and stir for about 1 minute.

Add vegetables and seasonings: Add to the pot 18 oz potatoes, 1 oz celery, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir to cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the liquids: Pour in 1 cup chicken broth and 1 cup whole milk. If using half and half instead of whole milk, use 3/4 cup instead of 1 cup, skip the cream, and use 1 1/2 cup chicken broth instead of 1 cup.

Simmer the soup: Simmer everything on medium heat for 20 minutes.

Add the cream: Stir in 1 1/2 tbsp heavy cream. Again, skip heavy cream if you’re using half and half.

Blend the soup: Blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. You can also use a regular blender but make sure to work with the soup in 2-3 batches to avoid spillage.

Serve the soup: Ladle the soup into four serving bowls. Sprinkle on top 2 tbsp chopped scallion, 0.5 oz shredded cheddar cheese, and 0.5 oz chopped bacon.