Potato, Apple And Arugula Soup

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 lbs potatoes, diced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups wine
• 1 lb apple, peeled, cored and diced
• 1 pinch ground allspice
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 ounces arugula leaves, soaked and washed thoroughly to remove all grit, stems removed
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon chives, chopped, for garnish (optional)
• 2 slices bacon, rinds and all fat removed, cooked and diced, to sprinkle over the soup as a garnish (optional)

Recipe

• 1 turn the oven on low and place the soup bowls and crusty rolls wrapped in foil in the oven to warm.
• 2 melt the butter in a sauté pan and add the diced potatoes and diced onion.
• 3 sauté for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• 4 add the lemon juice, chicken stock, wine, diced apples, ground allspice, nutmeg and chopped thyme.
• 5 bring the soup to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook for 15 minutes.
• 6 if you wish to use arugula leaves for garnish, reserve what you require, add the rest of the arugula leaves and the sugar to the soup and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through.
• 7 while the soup is simmering, cook the bacon under the grill or in a pan, until it is crisp; then cut it into small pieces (about 1/2 inch squares) with a pair of kitchen scissors, and set aside.
• 8 transfer half the soup to a blender or food processor, and process for 1 minute. this may have to be done in batches.
• 9 return the blended soup mixture to the pan and stir into the unblended soup.
• 10 season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
• 11 ladle the soup into warm soup bowls and garnish with bacon pieces and either the reserved arugula leaves or chopped chives.
• 12 serve with warm crusty bread rolls.