Swede and Smoked Bacon Soup with Crusty Bread

Ingredients

• 900 g swede, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
• 150 g smoked streaky bacon, roughly choppedor use smoked lardons
• 2 onion, roughly chopped
• 3 celery sticks, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1200 ml chicken stockor use vegetable stock to make the soup dairy-free
• 100 ml double cream
• 20 g unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 fresh thyme, sprigs
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 4 crusty bread, slices, to serve (optional)
• 1 pinch salt and black pepper, to season

Contains: celery, cereals gluten, milk.

Method

1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the bacon and fry for 4–5 minutes until golden and the fat has rendered out.About 5 min
2. Scoop out half the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on kitchen paper — these go back in as a garnish. Leave the rest in the pan.
3. Add the onion and celery to the pan and cook over a medium-low heat for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to colour.About 7 min
4. Stir in the garlic and thyme sprigs and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.About 1 min
5. Add the swede chunks and stir to coat in the bacon and onion mixture. Pour in the stock, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, and bring to a boil.About 3 min
6. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 20 minutes until the swede is completely tender when pierced with a knife. Fish out the thyme sprigs.About 20 min
7. Remove from the heat and use a stick blender to blitz the soup until completely smooth. Stir in the double cream and taste for seasoning.About 2 min
8. Ladle into bowls, scatter over the reserved crispy bacon pieces, and serve with crusty bread.