The Lovely Drawer: Maple Carrot, Apple & Bacon Soup


In the spirit of holiday fun,
I ate at least half of a pie over the weekend.

Maybe more, if I think about it,
but I don't really want to.

It's not like I regret it,
but... okay, fine,
I kinda do.

Woof.

I'm trying to do some meal planning 
for the week ahead
and making it a bit.... lighter.

I'm envisioning making a slew of salads
and meals involving ingredients 
that would make my Southern mom say, "Ew."

(Hey, Quinoa & Flax!)

And also, this:
Maple Carrot, Apple & Bacon Soup.

Yum.

Doesn't that sound
perfectly cozy and perfect
for a December night in.

Plus, soups are typically pretty economical
which means a few more greenbacks can go 
towards the Christmas shopping.

On to Teri for the recipe...
best read in a British accent.


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I don't deal too well with the cold. 

Winter is in many ways lovely 
but I pretty much cart a hot water bottle around with me 
and gravitate towards radiators where possible...

Oh yes and I will probably have soup on the brain! 

If you share this feeling then here's a winter warmer 
to melt away the chills in your boots. 

It was a little bit of an experiment but it worked out well. 

I really enjoyed the sweetness of the maple syrup and apple 
against the saltiness of the bacon. 

It's like a hug in a bowl and is very straightforward. 
That's the great thing about soup! 










You'll need:

1.2kg/2.5lb carrots
3 apples (Braeburn, if available)
2 small sweet potatoes
1 large onion
Handful of rosemary
90ml/3.5oz maple syrup
drizzle olive oil
250g/9oz smoked bacon
3 large garlic cloves
vegetable stock
1 tbsp mixed herbs
1 tbsp paprika
drizzle of balsamic vinegar


Makes 6-8 portions


How to:
1) Preheat the oven to 200 C

2) Peel and chop the carrots,apples and sweet potatoes. Cut and chop the onion.

3) Line a baking tray. Spread the veg out over the tray. Crush the two of the garlic on top, season and sprinkle a bit of the rosemary over the top. Drizzle the syrup and the olive oil over the top and rub it in with your fingers, mixing the garlic in too. 

4) Cook for about an hour or until everything is well roasted, stirring every now and again to cook evenly.







5) Then transfer to a large saucepan and then pour in vegetable stock, season and add the rest of the rosemary. Add the vegetable stock until all the veg is well covered and bring to the boil. Then put a lid on the saucepan simmer for about 20 mins. Add extra stock or water if you want a thinner consistency.

6) Meanwhile heat a drizzle of oil in a pan and fry the bacon, along with the remaining garlic clove (crushed). Drizzle balsamic over the bacon halfway through frying. Once cooked add to the soup, saving a little for garnish.

7) Then blend the whole lot with a hand blender until smooth. Once again if it looks too thick you can always add some water. 

8) Serve hot with a sprinkling of bacon, a sprig of rosemary and your favourite winter blanket.














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You can get a full helping
of Teri's cuteness & unstoppable creativity
over on her blog, The Lovely Drawer.




*images original to Aspiring Kennedy

6 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I know- save it for a rainy day. It looks so yummy!!

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  2. Another win, for sure! And never ever feel guilty about pie!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's totally a win.... and no, I don't feel guilty. Just chubbier. ;)

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I wish more than anything I had all of these ingredients in my kitchen right now--would be the perfect soup to make during this crazy Dallas weather! For sure making this week, thanks for sharing! xx

    http://www.dallaswardrobe.com

    ReplyDelete

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