Picture-perfect sweetpotato-and-pear soup

Beautiful garnishing and the distinctive russet colours of autumn elevate this simple soup into a work of art.

4

Serves Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 30 minutes

YOU NEED

• 80 g butter

• 1 onion, chopped

• 150 g streaky bacon, chopped, with 4 extra rashers for garnishing

• 4 pears – 2 seeded and chopped, and 2 thinly sliced for garnishing

• 2 parsnips, scrubbed and chopped

• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) turmeric

• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) curry powder

• 1 kg old-fashioned orange sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

• 1,2 ℓ chicken stock

• ½ tablespoon (7,5 ml) red wine vinegar

• salt and white pepper to taste

• a handful of sage leaves

• 50 g pumpkin seeds

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) apricot jam, melted

• ½ teaspoon (2,5 ml) red chilli flakes

THIS IS HOW

Melt half the butter in a saucepan and add the onion, chopped bacon, pear and parsnips. Cook over a moderate heat until soft – approximately 8 minutes. Stir in the turmeric and curry powder.

Add the sweet potatoes and stock, heat the mixture to boiling point, reduce the heat, and simmer once again until the sweet potatoes are soft (around 12 minutes).

Use a stick blender to blend the mixture until smooth. Stir in the vinegar, season the soup with salt and pepper, and keep it warm over a low heat. Prepare the garnish Fry the whole bacon rashers in a pan over a moderate heat. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Melt the remaining 40 g of butter in the pan. Flash-fry the sage leaves and set aside. Toast the pumpkin seeds until golden brown and crisp. Brown the pear slices in the pan. In a small jug, stir the chilli flakes into the melted apricot jam.

To serve Divide the soup between the bowls and garnish each bowl with a bacon rasher, fried pear slices, pumpkin seeds and sage leaves. Finish by drizzling over the melted jam with chilli flakes. >