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Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Bisque

Fall is a perfect time to try this bisque. The healthy and delicious sweet potato, which certainly represents the season in our home, is one of the stars of the soup. And if you’ve got leftover pumpkin flesh after carving your decorations, you can always substitute that for the canned purée. Using chicken broth instead of water gives this thick soup a rich-tasting down-home flair.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 6

Ingredients

4 slices bacon
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 cups chicken broth
One 15-ounce can pumpkin purée
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook the bacon in a large, heavy pot over medium heat until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate, and reserve the bacon fat. Crumble the bacon when cool.

    Step 2

    Sauté the onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice in the bacon fat until tender, about 5 minutes. Season the veggies with a bit of salt and pepper. Stir in the chicken broth and canned pumpkin, then add the sweet potatoes. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.

    Step 3

    Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream, and season with the cayenne pepper. Serve with a garnish of bacon crumbles and chopped chives.

Image may contain: Pat Neely, Human, Person, Food, Meal, Restaurant, Cafeteria, and Buffet
Reprinted with permission from The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook by Pat and Gina Nelly. Copyright © 2011 by Pat and Gina Nelly with Anna Volkwein. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Pat and Gina Neely are restaurateurs, best-selling authors, popular speakers, and hosts of the Food Network hit series Down Home with the Neelys. They recently opened their first New York City restaurant, Neely's Barbecue Parlor. They live with their daughters in Memphis, where they enjoy cooking at home with family and friends. Ann Volkwein is a best-selling food and lifestyle author based in New York City and Austin, Texas. Her previous books include: The Arthur Avenue Cookbook, Chinatown New York, Mixt Greens (with Andrew Swallow), and, with Guy Fieri: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; More Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; and Guy Fieri Food.
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