Sweet Curry Potato Leek Soup with Bacon and Northwoods Fire Croutons

Finally, Fall weather is here! I actually wore a jacket yesterday and I think I will have to wear one again today. Time to warm my belly with Fall comfort food. This soup is easy and can be made in under an hour. The bacon adds a layer of flavor, while the Northwoods Fire croutons give this soup a slight heat and crunch.

NORTHWOODS FIRE CROUTONS:

2 cups of cubed crusty bread

4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted

Penzey's Northwoods Fire Seasoning* or Cajun Seasoning

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix together the bread and butter until all the bread is coated. Sprinkle the Northwoods Fire seasoning over the croutons until each cube of bread has a well seasoned coating.

Place the buttered bread cubes onto a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until you have crunchy croutons.

*Northwoods Fire seasoning is a mixture of salt, chipotle pepper, paprika, black pepper, garlic, rosemary, thyme and cayenne.

SWEET CURRY POTATO LEEK SOUP:

5 strips of bacon, sliced into thin strips

2 large leeks, with the whites sliced, rings separated and soaking in water

1 large shallot, minced

2 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons of all purpose flour*

5-6 small to medium sized yukon gold potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

6 cups of chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup of frozen sweet peas

1/2 heaping teaspoon of sweet curry

Salt and pepper to taste

*If you have a Gluten allergy, simply omit the flour from the soup. Using an immersion blender to mash some of the potatoes will give you a nice soup consistency. For the croutons, use Gluten free bread.

Heat a large pan over medium high heat and add the bacon. When the bacon  crumbles have crisped up, use a slotted spoon to remove them and transfer the bacon to a paper towel.

Drain all but a tablespoon of the bacon grease and add the butter to the pan.  Drain the leeks and dump theminto the pan along with the shallots. Cook the veggies down until soft, about 5 minutes.

Pour in the flour, give it a good stir and cook for about a minute. Slowly add the chicken stock to the pan while continuously stirring. The soup will start to thicken. Deposit the potatoes into the broth and bring the soup up to a simmer. Cook for another 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Use an immersion blender and give a few pulses to break down some of the leeks and potatoes. Not too much, you want to keep the integrity of most of the veggies. If you do not have an immersion blender, take 1-2 cups and pulse in a standard counter top blender.

Add the cream, peas, curry, salt and pepper. Bring up to a simmer. Taste your soup and adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Your soup is almost ready. Ladle the soup into your favorite soup bowls, top with bacon crumbles and croutons.

This hit the spot on a cold and wet Spring day. Although, dont forget about this soup next fall!