Ireland: Irish Potato Soup with Bacon and Vegetables

With the renaissance of the concept of eating vegetables in season, and the rise of the concept of food miles, old dishes like this one are slipping back into their proper place in the Irish national cuisine. This soup is absolutely at its best when made with the root vegetables that can be locally sourced in the wintertime. And it's perfect for using up those last main crop potatoes that have been hiding down at the bottom of the potato sack or the veggie drawer and getting a little soft.

Note that in this recipe the bacon is used as a garnish, not a main ingredient. This accurately reflects the way meat was treated in many Irish countryside households of previous centuries during the winter months -- as something you wouldn't have much access to until the spring, and therefore a resource to be used sparingly. Try to use a good smoked bacon for the best flavor.

Click on "read more" for the full recipe.

(Also: click here for a handy-dandy international food miles calculator!)

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 100 grams / 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 kilogram / 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1/4 head celeriac, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced (or 5-6 baby carrots, even better)
• 800 ml / 3 3/4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or water
• 1 leek, cut lengthways, sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 250 ml / 1 1/4 cups cream, or cream and milk
• 1 pinch (or more if you like it) freshly ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste

To garnish:

• 90 grams / 3 oz smoked bacon
• Croutons
• 1 scallion / green onion cut into strips

Heat four tablespoons of the butter in a heavy saucepan and saute the potatoes, celeriac, and carrots. Cover with cold water or stock, bring to boil, and simmer for 40 minutes. Puree half the soup by putting it through a< sieve or liquidizing in a food processor.

Heat the remainder of the butter in a pan, saute the leek and onion lightly, and combine with the puree and the rest of the soup. Add the cream, season with nutmeg, salt and pepper, and cook for five more minutes.

Dice the bacon and brown it in the butter-coated pan. Serve the soup with croutons, diced bacon and green onion sprinkled on top.