Sweet Potato and New Potato Soup

Prep Time: 10min, Cook Time: 40min, Total Time: 50min
Serves: 4 generously
Recipe by Jewell Fears

Ingredients

• 1 medium to large fresh Sweet Potato
• 4-5 New Potatoes
• Water
• 2 slices thick-cut bacon – diced (optional)
• Olive Oil or Neutral Oil
• Heavy Cream
• Salt, to taste
• Colby block cheese or any fresh easily melting cheese (shredded)
• Dark Opal Basil Microgreens
• Garnet Giant Mustard Microgreens
• Red Veined Sorrel Microgreens (substitute any fresh herbs or microgreens)

Directions

1. Quarter new potatoes and place them in a medium-sized stockpot
2. Slice sweet potatoes in 1 inch round width-wise and then quarter. Add to new potatoes in stockpot adding just enough water to cover.
3. Add a pinch of salt to the water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook the potatoes until a fork can easily penetrate each piece.
4. While the potatoes are cooking, heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat and allow it to get nice and hot.
5. Add your bacon allowing it to render fat and begin to brown.
6. Once slightly browned and almost beginning to darken, remove bacon from pan and place on a heatproof plate. Do not drain.
7. When potatoes are ready, drain them, saving the water separately.
8. Let the potatoes cool slightly before blending. You don’t want hot liquid splashing in your face.
9. Add a cup of potatoes at a time to the blender. The gluten in the potatoes will make it thicken quickly so you’ll only want to work with small amounts.
10. Add a little of the cooking water saved from the potatoes – about half of the number of potatoes – 1 tbsp of bacon and finally adding ½ tbsp oil
11. Blend on low allowing the blender to catch the larger pieces, slowly increasing the speed until it is smooth and shiny
12. Pour into a medium-sized pot and repeat the same steps until all of the potatoes are blended.
13. Save at least 1-2 tbsp. of bacon for later.
14. You won’t use all of the cooking liquid by any means so you can dispose of the remaining.
15. Once everything has been blended and is in the pot, bring up slowly to a gentle simmer.
16. At the same time whisking in ½ cup heavy cream at a time. You’re looking for the mixture to thin out and add flavor
17. As the mixture heats and combines with the cream the consistency should change to a soupy mass and drip from a spoon when held overtop
18. Season with salt as desired adding more or less heavy cream pending you tastes
19. Garnish soup with crispy bacon, shredded Colby cheese, and my favorite: Dark Opal Basil Microgreens, Garnet Giant Mustard Microgreens, Red Veined Sorrel Microgreens (substitute any fresh herbs or microgreens).