Die-hard Seinfeld fans most certainly know the catch phrase “No soup for you!” And, with this Tuesday marking the return of Al Yeganeh’s The Original SoupMan flagship outpost to midtown Manhattan, let me be the first to offer a tasty soup recipe, sans attitude.
I’ll admit that hot soup on hot, suffocatingly humid days like we’re currently experiencing here in NYC isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. However, it’s always good to have a recipe on file for when the leaves begin to change and the weather makes you want to warm up with earthy flavors like these.
Inspired by a recipe I ran across in Carole Clements What’s Cooking Soups cookbook several years ago, I have since made this soup numerous times and found it not only tastes great, but freezes in individual portions quite well for later reheating (*).
(*) If you plan to freeze this soup, do not add the heavy cream prior to freezing. You can cream individual portions once thawed and reheated.
SWEET POTATO AND GRANNY SMITH APPLE SOUP, BACON LARDONS
INGREDIENTS – Yield: About 3 Liters, 8 servings
For the Soup
2 T butter
200 g leeks, émincer (sliced thinly)
750 g sweet potato, peeled and cut in mirepoix (consistently sized small chunks)
200 g carrot, peeled and cut in mirepoix
400 g granny smith apple, peeled and cut in mirepoix
1500 ml (6 C) water or, preferably, stock (chicken or vegetable)
125 ml (½ C) apple juice
250 ml (1 C) heavy cream (optional)
Freshly ground nutmeg, to taste
Salt and Pepper, to taste
For the Garnish
100 g slab bacon, cut in lardons
8 leaves Italian flat-leaf parsley
PROCEDURE
- Melt butter in a 8-10 quart stock pot over medium-low heat. Add leeks and sweat them to soften, but do not achieve any color.
- Once leeks are softened, add sweet potatoes, carrots, apples and stock (or water). Season lightly with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring soup to the boil, reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender.
- Turn flame off and, using an immersion blender or a Vitamix, puree soup very well.
- Adjust thickness/consistency with the apple juice, taste and adjust the seasoning. If desired, cream the soup by adding the optional heavy cream, stirring to combine. Reserve over low flame to keep warm.
- Sauté bacon lardons until crisp, remove and drain on paper towel.
- Serve soup in warm bowls, garnished with a few bacon lardons and a parsley leaf.
Recipe and Image: Copyright © 2010, Jeff Feighner. All Rights Reserved.