This appears to be some sort of… Japanese bacon soup?
from 食暦-syokukoyomi
via humblecuisine: hammaster
Cream of Broccoli Soup with Cheese and Bacon
Click-through for recipe!
from Rhetorical Christian
photo via regifter
Onion Bacon Shitake Soup
Ingredients: onion, apple, bacon, shitake, thyme, spices, butter.
- Preheat your oven to 350˚F. Peel and halve eight or twelve small yellow onions, leaving the root end intact. Cut each half into three wedges, each with some of the root attached so that the layers don’t fall apart. Cut up one peeled and cored grannysmith apple into wedges of similar size. Toss the onion and apple in fat (I used olive oil and bacon drippings), then arange them cut-side-up on a wire rack set in a sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt and sugar, and roast in the oven, turning the onion and apple wedges over once, until lightly browned and tender—about an hour or an hour and a half. Cut the inedible root ends off the onions.
- Meanwhile, make some ersatz bacon broth, as follows. Cut up three or four slices of bacon into confetti-sized pieces and cook them until well rendered over medium-low heat in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add a quartered onion and some roughly chopped carrot and celery to the pot, and toss them in the bacon fat. Then add the following: several sprigs of thyme, a cinnamon stick, a bay leaf, three or four whole cloves, a pinch or two of whole fennel seeds, and 6 cups of cold water. Scrape the fond off of the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer until you’re ready to use it, at least an hour.
- Strain the stock into a saucepan and place over high heat. Reduce by about half, and then add the onions and apples. Boil for another 15 minutes, or until the ratio of solid to liquid looks about right to make a thick puree. (You want relatively little liquid since there is a good amount of residual water in the roasted onions and apple.)
- Puree the mixture with a few tablespoons of butter. Season. Put the puree back into the saucepan (after rinsing it out), and place it over low heat until ready to serve. (Don’t wait too long.)
- For the garnish, cut several slices of bacon into lardon and cook them in a small skillet until rendered. Remove the bacon to a paper towel, pour off all but about two tablespoons of the bacon fat. Heat the remaining fat until very hot over high heat, and then add 5 to 10 small, halved shitake mushrooms to the pan. Brown well, tossing once, until cooked, seasoning near the end. (This goes very fast.) Serve the soup in a warm bowl garnished with the bacon, the mushrooms, and a few fresh thyme leaves. Don’t forget some crusty bread action!
