There are two things that give this recipe its smoky deliciousness- bacon (yum), and smoked paprika (one of my favorite spices). The bacon is cooked until crispy, removed and reserved for garnish, and the bacon grease incorporated into the soup instead of your usual butter or oil. A big ol’ heaping teaspoon of smoked paprika is added, as well as chili powder and cayenne pepper for a bit of a kick.
I don’t want you to miss out on this soup if you are vegan or vegetarian. While you may miss out on the crunchy bacon or bleu cheese topping, there are some simple omissions and substitutions you can make to make these meat-free or plant-based (see recipe notes below). You can top it with croutons for a bacon-free crunch on top! You can also easily make this paleo/whole30 compliant by omitting the cheese and using a sugar-free bacon.
This soup requires blending to make it velvety smooth. I highly recommend using an immersion blender, or stick blender, for this purpose. I think it’s my FAVORITE kitchen tool. Just stick it in the pot of soup and press on- the soup purees perfectly. I use mine for smoothies- just put all the ingredients in a glass or wide mouth mason jar and blend it right in there! A day of not cleaning a blender is a good day in my book. But if you don’t have one, you can also blend this soup in batches in a standing blender. Recipe for Smoky Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon and Bleu Cheese below! Stay warm and hang in there, people of the North… Spring is coming. Promise :-)
