This Paleo Sweet Potato and Bacon Soup combines the satisfyingly salty flavor of bacon that everyone loves, with the decadently sweet flavor of maple syrup to create one of the ultimate flavor combinations. This nutrient dense soup is sure to be one that the whole family will love.
Sweet potatoes, bacon and maple are three things that were absolutely made to be eaten together by the almighty one himself. I am sure that is written in scripture somewhere.
Sweet potatoes are undoubtedly one of my favorite foods. And, sweet potato soup happens to be one of my favorite ways to eat this vibrant tuber. I love this recipe because it is something most people will accept and enjoy. As my brother has said, healthy food is easier to accept if it is wrapped in bacon. He's not wrong.
Nutrient Density
Soup is an incredibly powerful food. I love it because it is easy to eat, easy to digest and easy to load with nutrient dense vegetables. This is an easy way to help you meet your nutrient needs!
By using bone broth in place of traditional chicken broth you can give your immunity a boost. Bone broth can support the health of your gut lining. It contains gut healing collagen and certain amino acids like glycine and glutamine.
Benefits Of Using Coconut Milk Over Cream
MCT's
The coconut milk provides healthy fats in the form of medium-chain triglycerides. These fats are uniquely energizing and help to satiate you so you feel more satisfied after your meal.
Vitamins and Minerals
People generally associate cow's milk with calcium. Unfortunately, the vitamins and minerals found in milk are harder for the human body to absorb than most would think.
Cow's milk simply isn't made for the human body to digest. When ingested, cow's milk creates an acidic environment in the human body which triggers a biological response. The corrective action of the body is to pull minerals from the bones to be used as a buffer to reduce body's the pH.
This is one of the reasons why, although Americans have the highest average consumption of dairy products, they still rank among the worst for bone density in developed nations.
Coconuts provide B vitamins, vitamin C and E. And, they are particularly rich in important minerals like potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, copper and manganese. These minerals are not only vital for bone health, but incredibly important for maintaining healthy blood pressure.
Magnesium and potassium also aid in tissue and cellular repair, making these minerals necessary to replace after strenuous physical activity to support healthy muscle growth.
Gut Health
The type of fiber along with the anti-inflammatory properties of coconut can support gut health. This is done by improving the lining of your GI tract, easing bowel movements and feeding beneficial gut flora.
How Do I Choose A Coconut Milk?
I prefer canned variety because the tend to be creamier than those found in a carton. Although, either would work.
I do always check for funky ingredients. Coconut milks often contain undesirable thickeners and stabilizers. I usually buy my coconut milk from Thrive Market or Trader Joe's because the ingredient list on these options are coconut and water.
Can I Cook This In The Instant Pot?
Absolutely! You would throw all the ingredients, except the coconut milk and bacon into the pot of the device and set to 30 minutes on the "soup" setting. Allow everything to cook. Release the steam when it is ready and cool for several minutes.
Then add everything, including the coconut milk to the blender (leaving the bacon out still). Blend for a minute or two until smooth. Serve and top with the crumble bacon.
Recipe Tips
- I use a lot of garlic so I buy a large container of garlic already minced. This allows me to simplify the process of a lot of my recipes. I only opt for fresh garlic when it has a large role in the flavor profile of the dish.
- Cooking the sweet potatoes in the broth allows them to absorb some flavor and cook fairly quickly. Poke them with a fork after 15 minutes. If they pierce easily they are done.
Freezing, Storing and Reheating
This soup is freezer friendly. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months in the freezer. Just pull, thaw and reheat.
Keep this soup for about 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. This recipe is an excellent meal prep idea for weekday lunches.
If you plan on storing, keep the bacon separate. If you are planning on freezing, just cooking fresh bacon when your are ready to enjoy. No body likes soggy bacon.
Reheat for 10-15 minutes in a pot on the stove over medium heat. You can also microwave. Times will vary based on the quantity you are reheating and the microwave wattage.
Related Recipes
- Paleo Curry Butternut Squash Soup
- Gluten Free Tomato Basil Soup
- Bacon Wrapped Dates
- Sweet Potato Pizza Bake
- Chipotle and Sweet Potato Cod Chowder
Did you try this Paleo Sweet Potato and Bacon soup? Tell me how you liked it below! I would love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Paleo Sweet Potato and Bacon Soup
Equipment
- Blender
- Stock Pot
Ingredients
- 3 medium sweet potatoes about 1000 grams of sweet potato
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 medium onion
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 3-4 cups bone or chicken broth
- 14 oz lite coconut milk
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ tbsp sage
- ½ tbsp rosemary
- 2 tsp coriander omit for AIP
- 2 tsp ground celery seed omit for AIP
- 1 tsp pink Himalayan salt or to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper omit for AIP
Toppings
- 8 slices bacon
Instructions
- Begin by heating oil in a large stock pan over low to medium heat.
- Coarsely chop onion, and add to oil. Allow to cook until onion begins to brown slightly, stirring occasionally. Then add garlic.
- While onion is cooking, peel sweet potatoes and cut into large chunks.
- Add broth and potatoes to pot. Allow to cook until they become tender and easily pierced with a fork.
- While the potatoes are cooking, begin pan frying the bacon. Remove the bacon once it has cooked fully on both sides and pat grease with a paper towel. Tear into pieces and set aside.
- Once potatoes are tender, pour broth and sweet potatoes into a large blender or food processor. Process until smooth and all chunks have been pureed. If blender is large enough, begin adding the coconut milk and all the spices and then blend until everything has been incorporated (if you have a smaller blender, you can pour the mixture back into the stock pot and add the remaining ingredients, whisking to incorporate).
- Top with bacon, serve and enjoy.
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