Name: Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon and Chives
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 6 slices bacon, chopped; 1 onion, chopped fine; 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar; Salt and pepper; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and sliced thin; 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth; 1 cup water; 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Why This Recipe Works

Slicing the sweet potatoes very thin allows them to cook very quickly. Add a salad and good bread to make a fast, easy supper.

Before You Begin

If after cooking the bacon you don’t have quite 2 tablespoons of rendered fat in the pot, add olive oil to make up the difference. For a slightly spicy version of this soup, add 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

Instructions

Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate; set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat from now-empty pot. Add onion, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add potatoes, broth, and water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

Working in batches, process soup in blender until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve soup, sprinkled with bacon and chives.