Ingredients
- ½ pound applewood smoked bacon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 2 fat cloves minced garlic about a tablespoon
- 1 diced stalk celery
- 1 bay leaf
- ¾ cup wild rice or wild rice blend like this
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 3 - 4 cups cubed sweet potatoes
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- a couple pinches ground cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
- sea or kosher salt and fresh black pepper
Instructions
- In a large, heavy-duty saucepan or Dutch oven cook the bacon until crispy. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
- Drain off the grease except for a tablespoon and add the olive oil over medium-low heat.
- Add the onion, garlic, celery, bay leaf and a couple dashes salt and pepper. Cook 5 - 6 minutes stirring often.
- Add the wild rice and toast it for a few minutes in the pan, stirring often.
- Stir in the vegetable broth, sweet potatoes, dried thyme, smoked paprika, parsley and cayenne with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Crumble the bacon and add half of it to the soup - save the rest for the top.
- Turn the heat up and bring to a simmer. Simmer about 25 minutes until the potatoes and wild rice are tender.
- Taste and season with more salt and pepper or herbs/spices if desired.
- Remove the bay leaf and discard.
- Ladle into bowls with a sprinkle of bacon on top to serve.
Nutrition
Serving: 1grams