Julia Roberts's Baked Potato Soup

This rustic soup with crunchy potato skins and lots of chives have
never failed. You'll love it! To chop the chives, line them up evenly
and cut them into very small segments with a knife or scissors.
For the soup:
6 boiling potatoes
1/4 cup of mild flavored cooking oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 chopped onion
6 cups of chicken stock or canned broth
salt and pepper
1 bunch of chives, (1/4 cup) finely chopped For the garnish:
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of crumbled cooked bacon, about 8 slices
1 bunch of chives, chopped, about 1/4 cup

Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Scrub the potatoes carefully with a brush
to remove all dirt and pierce the skins in several places. Do not wrap
them with foil, the skin should get crisp. Bake the potatoes for 1
hour or until soft. In a stockpot, heat the oil over medium high heat.
Add the garlic and onion, and sauté for a few minutes, until soft and
translucent. Peel 3 potatoes but leave the other 3 unpeeled. Cut them
all in half. Sauté for about 3 minutes in hot oil. Add the stock, plus
water if necessary so that the liquid covers the vegetables by 2
inches. Bring the stock to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat to
medium-low and cook, uncovered for 35 minutes. Puree the soup in a
blender. Don't use a food processor, it will make the texture gummy.
Add salt and pepper to taste, being careful not to over season. Stir
the finely chopped chives into the blended soup. Place the soup in
bowls and garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream. Scatter
the crumbled bacon on top and finish with a sprinkling of chopped
chives. Serves 6