 Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup
With Bell Pepper-Bacon Salsa
I created this spicy,
robust soup with one of my sous-chefs, Tom Berry. We were aiming for a
Southwestern-style dish that was just sweet enough and had some zing, and
this bacon-flavored sweet potato mélange was the very tasty result.
Served with a red pepper-based salsa that reinforces the soup’s bacon
flavor, this dish will satisfy but not overburden cold-weather appetites.
|
Ingredients:
Salsa
4 slices bacon
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4 inch dice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lime
5 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
2 small white or yellow onions, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon pureed chipotles in adobo
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
6 cups Chicken Stock or low sodium canned broth
6 tablespoons butter, chilled and roughly chopped
Juice of 1/2 lime
|
|
Directions:
1. To make the salsa, cook
the bacon in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, turning once, until
crisp, about 10 minutes. Crumble the bacon and reserve. Pour most of the
bacon fat into a heat-proof container, leaving only enough to coat the pan
lightly, and reserve.
2. Add the onion and red pepper to the pan in which the bacon coked in and
sauté over medium heat, stirring, until brown, about 6 minutes. Season to
taste with the salt and pepper. Add the reserved bacon and the lime juice.
Correct the seasonings, transfer to a small bowl, and set aside at room
temperature.
3. To make the soup, return the reserved bacon fat to the same pan and
place over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, onions, and brown sugar,
season with the salt and pepper to taste, and sauté, stirring, until the
vegetables are brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in the chipotle puree and
wine, and cook over medium heat until the mixture is reduced by about
three-fourths, approximately 6 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and stock
and simmer until the potatoes are very soft, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Using a hand blender or food processor, puree the soup mixture. Add the
butter one piece at a time, blending again after each addition, to thicken
the soup slightly. Stir in the lime juice and correct the seasonings.
Immediately ladle into bowls, spoon a portion of the salsa onto each and
serve.
Ming’s Tip: You can make a vegetarian version by omitting the
bacon and using vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock. Substitute
canola oil for the rendered bacon fat.
|
|
