Beat the cold-weather blues with this sweet potato chowder filled with crispy bacon and gut-healing nutrients!
Nothing beats a big bowl of creamy hot chowder, but it can be hard to find a Paleo version that does the original justice. Thankfully, this hearty recipe has you covered by swapping in sweet potatoes for white potatoes and coconut milk for heavy dairy cream. It’s a recipe you can easily whip up in less than an hour and is the perfect choice for a gut-healthy meal.
For the base, we use a mixture of savory chicken broth, tender onions, and sautéed garlic for fragrant aroma. We then add a bit of ground turmeric (for its anti-inflammatory properties) and simmer in fiber-rich kale to boost up extra vitamins and minerals. The final touch includes a crispy crumble of bacon bits, topped with fresh parsley.
To get started, place the bacon slices in a single layer on a large skillet. Cook for five minutes on each side and remove when crispy. Cut the bacon into small, bite-sized pieces and reserve the bacon fat for later.
Next, set the skillet to medium heat and add two tablespoons of reserved bacon fat. Toss in the diced onion and sauté for about two minutes. When tender, add in the minced garlic and continue cooking until fragrant.
When ready, add in the broth, sweet potatoes, bay leaves, and ground turmeric. Mix well to combine and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the ingredients to simmer for 15 minutes.
When sweet potatoes are tender, stir in the coconut milk. Add the kale leaves and cook for two minutes or until slightly wilted, then season with salt and pepper. Divide the chowder into two bowls, and top each one with crispy bacon pieces and fresh parsley.
Tip: If you don’t have any broth on hand, you can substitute with equal parts water. Just note that the soup won’t be as creamy.
Sweet Potato Bacon Chowder
Tools
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups diced sweet potato
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 t ground turmeric
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 2 cups kale leaves, roughly chopped, stems removed
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and place the bacon slices in one single layer. Cook for 5 minutes on each side, then remove and cut into small, bite-sized pieces. Set aside the bacon bits and leave the bacon fat in the pan.
- With the skillet still hot, sauté the diced onions until tender (about 2 minutes). Add in the garlic and continue cooking for another 30 seconds.
- When onion and garlic are fragrant, add in the broth, diced sweet potato, bay leaves, and ground turmeric. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Let it simmer for the next 15 minutes so that the sweet potatoes become tender.
- Add the coconut milk and mix to combine, then toss in the kale leaves and let them simmer until slightly wilted (about 2 minutes).
- When ready, garnish with crispy bacon bits and fresh parsley. Serve hot and enjoy!
Articles shared with permission from Paleohacks
