Cream of Brussels Sprouts Soup With Crispy Bacon

Cream of Brussels Sprouts Soup With Crispy Bacon

INGREDIENTS

For the Soup

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 1/4 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (cilantro)
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice, (about ½ lemon)

For the Crispy Bacon

• 5 slices thick-cut bacon
• 16 reserved Brussels sprout halves
• fresh thyme leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Soup

1. Heat a large saucepan to medium heat. Melt the butter and add olive oil. Gently sauté the onions until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until they start to sweat but not brown.
2. Reserve 10 to 15 Brussels sprout halves, and put to the side. Add remaining Brussels sprouts to the saucepan and coat in the butter and olive oil mixture. Stir continuously for 5 minutes or until the Brussels sprouts are bright green and slightly softened.
3. Add the broth, heavy cream, salt, black pepper, and coriander to the saucepan and bring to a rolling simmer. Simmer the mixture uncovered for 15 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts are completely softened and the liquid has slightly reduced and thickened. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
4. Carefully pour the Brussels sprouts and liquid, plus the lemon juice, into a blender. Cover the blender tightly with a lid and blend for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the mixture blends into a smooth, pale-green soup. Remove the soup from the blender and divide it evenly into 2 to 3 soup bowls. Add additional salt to taste, as needed.

For the Crispy Bacon