Saturday, December 9, 2017

Soup Weather

What is it about soup or a warm drink that is so comforting during cold weather?   I love how they warm me up from the inside out.   And after the weather we've this week, we're all about warming up.   It's been cold and wet and even SNOWED here in deep south Texas! 

Today we decided  we needed some Sweet Potato Corn Chowder.   Luckily, I made a fresh batch of bone broth a few days ago.  It adds tons of flavor to soups, stews or anything cooked in a liquid.    Just look at the deep color!     Here's how I make my bone broth . . . . 

 
This soup starts by sauteeing six slices of bacon until it's crisp.   Remove the bacon, crumble it up, and save it for later.    In the bacon grease, saute chopped onion, celery, and green bell pepper.   I usually add in red bell pepper or anything I have on hand that strikes my fancy.   

At this point, you will add a cubed sweet potato, salt, tyme, a bay leaf, and two cups of water or, even better, a rich broth.    I'll take this opportunity to encourage you to grow a few herbs.   Grow them in pots or in a garden, on a windsill or an apartment balcony; it doesn't matter where.   Herbs are easy to grow, take very little space, AND make everything taste better!  Today I used dry thyme but went to the patio for the bay leaf and parsley.    Now, let everything simmer for about 20 minutes or until the sweet potato is soft.   It'll look about like this and will fill your home with an amazing aroma!
Time to thicken things up a bit.   Mix 3 tablespoons of flour and 1/2 cup of cold milk together.    I put mine in a small jar and shake it, shake it, shake it!    Once the sweet potato is soft, add the flour & milk mixture to the pot.    Stir well and let it simmer for 10 minutes.    You will have a fairly thick mixture but the flour needs this time in the heat to do its thing.   

To finish it of, add 2 cups of frozen corn.   Feel free to use fresh corn, but then you'll need to cook it a bit longers.   Also add 1-1/2 cup of warm milk, 3 tablespoons (or more) of fresh chopped parsley, and a squeeze of honey.    Heat until everythings warm.   The frozen corn will cool things off a bit so expect this step to take 5 or 10 minutes.    

Now it's ready!   
Ladle into bowls, garnish with the cooked bacon and enjoy!  

If you want a printable copy of the recipe, click here!     

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