Sweet Potato Bisque with Bacon and Cinnamon Toast Croutons
A savory sweet potato bisque built on rendered bacon fat, garlic, and bourbon, then finished with cream and topped with crispy bacon and cinnamon toast croutons. One pot, under an hour, and easy to make ahead.
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
- ¼ cup bourbon, see notes
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon EACH: sea salt and black pepper, more to taste
- 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped - about 2 lb total
- 1 cup heavy cream
Cinnamon Toast Croutons
- 4 slices bread, crusts cut off and cut into squares
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar, see notes
Instructions
- Add the bacon to a large soup pot over medium heat and cook until it is crispy, about 12 minutes. Remove from the pot and crumble when it is cool enough to touch.4 strips bacon
- If there is less than 2 tablespoons of bacon oil in the pot, add some olive oil. If there is more, remove it. Add the onion to the pot and sauté it over medium heat until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red chili flakes and cook for one minute more. If using, add the bourbon to the pot and scrape the bottom to remove any stuck-on bits.1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic, ¼ teaspoon chili flakes, ¼ cup bourbon
- Add the stock, sweet potatoes, salt, and pepper, and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft.6 cups chicken stock, 4 medium sweet potatoes, 1 teaspoon EACH: sea salt and black pepper
- While the soup is simmering, make the croutons. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Pile the bread cubes on a baking sheet, drizzle them with the melted butter, and cinnamon sugar and then use your hands to mix it well so that the bread is evenly coated. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the croutons are crispy. They will crisp more as they cool.4 slices bread, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar
- When the sweet potatoes are soft, puree the soup either with an immersion blender or in batches using a regular blender. If you don't have a high-speed blender and you want a super smooth soup, you can pass the soup through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Stir the cream into the soup and gently reheat it - don't let it boil. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper, as wanted. Serve the soup topped with the crispy bacon and croutons.1 cup heavy cream
Notes
Cinnamon sugar: If you don't have cinnamon sugar on hand or don't want to make a full batch, use 1 ½ teaspoons sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
Bourbon: Irish whiskey or Rye whiskey make good substitutes. You can also omit it and use a splash of stock to deglaze the pan.
Serving: 1 serving = a big bowl, Calories: 784kcal, Carbohydrates: 78g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 40g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 102mg, Sodium: 1547mg, Potassium: 1335mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 33082IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 167mg, Iron: 3mg