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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.
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