Recipe - Sweet Potato Soup

I love making soup - it's easy to make ahead, it's nice to have a light supper once or twice a week, and it's a good thing to bring for lunch.  I found this recipe for sweet potato soup that I thought would be nice for fall.  It was very tasty, we ate it on Monday and Tuesday nights.  

Here is the recipe:

6 strips of bacon, diced

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 stalk of celery, diced

2 lbs sweet potatoes (about 3 medium), peeled and diced

1/2 tsp dried thyme

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup coconut milk (more or less depending on the consistency you want)

salt and pepper to taste

In a dutch oven, or large pot, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy.  Remove from the pot and pour off some of the bacon fat.  Add onions and celery, cook for 5 to 10 minutes until soft.  Add garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.  

Stir in potatoes, dried thyme, and salt.  Pour in chicken stock and simmer potatoes until soft, about 20 minutes. 

Blend up with an immersion blender (or transfer in batches to a regular blender) and puree until smooth.  Pour in coconut milk and stir.  Heat through.  Season with more salt and pepper to taste.  You can garnish with the bacon or just stir into the soup. 

I ate mine with crackers.