Brussels Sprouts Soup with Bacon and Egg
Brussels sprouts are in abundance now, so this is the perfect time to make this soup says cook and author Tina Duncan.
“A recipe from my mother’s well-used, dilapidated cookbook,” says Tina Duncan. “I love it with the addition of bacon and egg, which turns it into a great meal alternative. To make it vegetarian, replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock and omit the bacon.”
PREP TIME: 10 mins
COOK TIME: 30 mins
INGREDIENTS:
25g butter
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 kg Brussels sprouts, cleaned and quartered
2 litres of good chicken stock
1⁄2 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
100g baby spinach leaves
1 tsp salt
1⁄2 tsp pepper, freshly ground
6 very fresh free-range eggs
200g streaky bacon, cut into strips and cooked until crisp
METHOD:
Sauté onions and garlic in the butter over a gentle heat for 5 minutes until soft but with no colour. Add sprouts and chicken stock and simmer until sprouts are tender. Add spinach, remove from the heat immediately and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Blend until very smooth with a stick blender.
TO SERVE:
Poach eggs in simmering water until set, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Heat soup, adjust seasoning if necessary and ladle into warm bowls. Gently place one egg in each bowl of soup and garnish with crispy bacon.
Serve with crusty bread.
Serves 6
