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Sweet Potato-Apple Soup with Sage Brown Butter and Pancetta Croutons

Healthy Recipe Ecstasy
To make this dish gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free bread for the croutons. I've never tried using vegan butter to make brown butter, but you could certainly try that if you want to make the soup dairy-free.
5 from 1 vote
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Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour
Course Soup
Servings 4 -6

Ingredients
  

  • SOUP:
  • 2 tablespoons salted Kerrygold butter
  • 1/2 medium white onion finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves smashed
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger finely chopped
  • 2 Braeburn-type apples—peeled seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 1 celery rib thinly sliced
  • 3 large sweet potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 quart 32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Coarse salt to taste (because I used the salted butter I didn't think the soup needed any additional salt seasoning. Taste the soup before you decide to add the salt)
  • SAGE BROWN BUTTER:
  • 3 tablespoons salted Kerrygold butter
  • 5 large sage leaves
  • PANCETTA CROUTONS:
  • 6 thin slices pancetta cut into strips
  • 2 thick slices rustic bread crusts removed and cut into cubes (or your favorite gluten-free bread)
  • Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
  • Freshly-ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • SOUP:
  • In a large soup pot, heat the 2 tablespoons butter until melted. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook over medium low heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the apples and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over low heat until the fruit and vegetables are very tender, about 40-45 minutes.
  • Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Season with pepper (and salt, if needed) and return to the pot.
  • SAGE BROWN BUTTER:
  • In a small pot, melt the butter over medium heat until it bubbles and foam, whisking as it melts. Add in sage leaves and continue whisking until the butter turns golden. As soon as it turns golden remove the pot from the heat (it will continue to cook off the heat) and discard the sage leaves. Brown butter can burn in a second so keep a close watch!
  • PANCETTA CROUTONS:
  • Heat oven to 400 degrees F. To make the croutons, wrap the pancetta strips around the bread cubes, leaving the ends of the bread exposed. Put the croutons on a baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper. Bake for 10 minutes until the pancetta and bread edges are crisp. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
  • TO ASSEMBLE:
  • Divide the soup evenly among 4 big bowls or 6 small bowls. Drizzle each bowl of soup with sage brown butter and top with 2-3 croutons.