Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup with Bacon

15 minutes prep 30-40 minutes active cooking 45-55 minutes total

Makes 4-6 servings

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Lindsay Strannigan, local food lover and our social media guru...

adapted this recipe from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home (great book!) and keeps it in heavy rotation during the fall months. It's hearty, cozy, and made from simple and nourishing ingredients. She says, “I've made this recipe for all sorts of people over the years and it's always a hit. Nobody dislikes this soup!”

Sauteeing your veg in bacon fat and finishing the soup with a generous glug of sherry vinegar are the keys here, providing a delicious contrast of porky richness and bright, vinegary tang that really pulls everything together. And remember not to skimp on the bacon bits on top!

What You'll Need

Ingredients

For the shopping list

6 thick slices bacon, cut into small strips
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
8 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons S&B yellow curry powder*
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 large handful of cilantro leaves

* S&B curry powder available in the Fulamingo section of our PDX shop.

From our shop

1 tablespoon Everyday Single Varietal Olive Oil
$24.00– Capay Valley Ranch - California

Out of stock

2 cups Lentils French Green Organic
$6.00–

2 tablespoons Sherry Vinegar 1/24
$19.00– Jerez de la Frontera - Spain

To taste Italian Fine Sea Salt
$7.00– Trapani - Sicily

Equipment

From the kitchen

Dutch oven or large pot
Vegetable peeler
Chef's knife
Cutting Board
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons

What you'll have to do

Step 1

Set a large pot over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook the bacon (Lindsay likes to start them cold) until the fat renders and it begins to crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve.

Step 2

In the same pot, add the onions, carrots, salt and pepper to taste, and 2 tablespoons curry powder. Cook in the bacon fat over medium heat until soft (6-8min).

Step 3

Add the sweet potatoes, 2 cups lentils, and 8 cups chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 30–40 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes and lentils are tender.

Step 4

Add 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar and taste the soup. Add more salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and crumble the reserved bacon pieces over the top; garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.