Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon

Ingredients

• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• ½ onion, diced
• Salt, to taste
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 medium-sized apple, peeled and cored
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 6 slices of bacon
• 1 tbs of cinnamon
• A generous pinch of nutmeg
• 2 tbs maple syrup
• Grated gruyere cheese, for garnish
• A couple leaves fresh sage, chopped

Instructions

1. 1
   In a large pot, add the carrots, onion and celery along with a generous pinch of salt.
2. 2
   Sweat the vegetables on medium-high heat until they soften a bit.
3. 3
   Add the sweet potatoes, rosemary, apples and just enough water to cover the vegetables.
4. 4
   Add a generous pinch of salt and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to simmer.
5. 5
   In a separate pan, fry the bacon until it’s crispy, drain on paper towels and then crumble once cooled. Set aside.
6. 6
   Once the sweet potatoes have softened, strain the potato-vegetable mixture, reserving the liquid.
7. 7
   In a blender, puree the sweet potato mixture until velvety smooth and add the reserved liquid until you reach the desired consistency.
8. 8
   Return the soup to the pot and warm it, adding the cinnamon, nutmeg and maple syrup. Season to taste.
9. 9
   To serve, ladle the soup into a bowl. Add the cheese and top with crumbled bacon. Finish with the fresh sage.