Non-Dairy, Creamy Vegetable Soup With Bacon

Submitted by Diana 2

"A creamy and hearty soup that everyone can enjoy. Stick to your ribs comfort loaded with goodness. Created for the 2011 Craze-E Soups or Sandwiches Contest."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 50mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb center-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1⁄2 cup onion, diced
• 1 1⁄2 cups green cabbage, shredded
• 1⁄2 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper, fresh ground
• 4 cups vegetable broth, see note below
• 2 cups potatoes, diced
• 1 cup carrot, sliced thin
• 2 teaspoons fresh basil, finely snipped

directions

1. Fry bacon until crispy around the edges. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Reserve 1 tsp of the bacon fat, and use to saute the onion, shredded cabbage, bell peppers, and black pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized.
2. In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add the sauteed onion, cabbage and bell pepper mixture, along with the potatoes and carrots. Reduce heat, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Using a slotted spoon, remove about 1 cup of cooked vegetables and set aside.
4. Use a stick blender (or a food processor) to blend the remaining mixture until smooth.
5. Stir the reserved cooked vegetables, basil and cooked bacon into the puree. (You may wish to save a bit of bacon for garnish) Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
6. Garnish with reserved cooked bacon, if desired.
7. Note: Depending on the variety of potato you use, you may need to add additional broth to thin the soup.

Reviews

[Chef Jean]

Easy soup to make, but like the other reviews I thought it was lacking a bit of flavor. Just needs to be adjusted to add a little extra umph of flavor. Nothing that can't be easily fixed! Made for CRAZE-E contest Dec. '11.

 

[CJAY8248]

This is a very good soup with a great combination of vegetables. It was a little too bland for our taste so I added salt, garlic powder, and more basil in hopes of bringing out more flavor. I still felt it was missing something but the texture was good and it was easy enough to make. Thanks for sharing. Made for Craze-E Contest 2011.

 

[Starrynews]

Very nice, warm and filling soup. The bacon is the real star here. The veggies, especially after blending, are a little one note in taste and texture, so each bite of bacon is a pleasant little burst of flavor that really stands out. The salty flavor contrasted with the sweetness of the caramelized veggies is a nice touch. Thanks for sharing!