Luxurious Swede & Bacon Soup for budget-conscious January: vegan option, dairy free option, make ahead,

Take advantage of a glut of swedes for a thick unctuous soup...

...ooriginally posted 2015

Jewel bright Potage of Swede and bacon with hand-held chilli & corn pancakes

photo:  3/11/16

This amber coloured, intensely savoury soup has always prompted deep murmurs of appreciation on cold nights or when the weather is bone-chilling.  

Inexpensive to make, especially when swedes are so cheap (60p at M&S) it's thick.  lovely and subtly flavoured.  It makes a substantial meal with flaky cheese biscuits, cheese bread or croutons, a simple salad & a dessert. 

There is some chopping involved but much of the prep involves waiting for the vegetables to sweat into a sweet carmellised mass.  Good stock and a blitz with a stick blender guarantees compliments.

This recipe, sourced so long ago that its been lost in the midst of time, is a favourite meal though more often than not now, the vegetarian version is produced.  

Note: The secret of luxurious soups is sweating the vegetables for at least 20 minutes.  (See below)

Cost: £2.75 (less for veggie versions in Tips below) (10/23)
Serves: 4-6

Ingred:
2-3 rashers back bacon, fat removed, or turkey bacon (with as few e-numbers as possible) in 1 cm/ 1/2 inch slices (veggies omit)
1-2 oz/25-50 gm dairy or plant butter which gives a richer flavour OR olive oil OR mixture of the two

1 med yellow onion, diced OR equiv fodmap friendly green of spring onions, finely sliced or fennel, 1/2-1 inch discarded from base of washed, wiped leaves (depending on how dirty they are) washed and wiped with a paper towel

1.25lb/0.5 k peeled swede in med dice (ie one largeish)
1 stick peeled, cleaned celery, sliced 
1 medium potato and 1 med carrot, peeled & chopped 

2 pts/1 litre stock or water
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried
cracked black pepper

Method:

1. Soften onion and bacon in the fat over med-high heat; if you like chunky bits of bacon in the soup, remove them and set aside for garnish
2. Add vegetables and coat in the oil  
3. Reduce heat to low, partially cover with a lid and sweat (ie cook slowly) 20 mins, stirring frequently to prevent burning 
4. Pour in stock; season with pepper and if not using bacon, salt lightly.  Bring to a boil
5. Simmer 15 minutes with lid removed. Take off the heat and check seasoning 
6. Liquidise to a thick puree (67 prefers a stick blender; fill bowl blenders half full to prevent  accidents.
7. Garnish with parsley/chives (opt) and, if using, reserved bacon bits or vegetarian bacon bits,
8. Serve with low-cal home-made croutons  or, if you are not cholesterol-challenged, flaky cheese biscuits 

Tips for Vegetarian/vegans:  Without bacon, the soup needs something salty, maybe vegetarian bacon bits, a teaspoon or two of tapenade or rinsed, finely diced olives, or sun-blush tomatoes

Please leave a Comment in the box below

These recipes have been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  They may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.