Potato Soup with Bacon and Walnut Vinaigrette

I realize it sounds rather odd to serve vinaigrette on top of a soup but this crunchy savoury soup topping has enough acid to lift and lighten the creamy taste without overpowering it. If you need a vegetarian crunch-alternative, simply lightly crush your favourite corn or root vegetable crisps and scatter on top of the bacon-less vinaigrette after spooning on top of the soup.

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Ingredients

(Serves 6)

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 stalks celery, diced (reserve the leaves)

1 large carrot, diced

50 g butter

1 tsp salt flakes

1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

1 kg Laura or Royal Blue potatoes, peeled & diced

1.8 litres vegetable or chicken stock

1 cup sour cream

salt flakes & freshly cracked black pepper

100 g speck or bacon, sliced

½ cup roasted walnuts, roughly chopped

3 spring onions, the green tops finely chopped

1/3 cup inner celery leaves, roughly chopped

4 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. In a medium sized pot gently fry the onion, garlic, celery and carrot in the butter with the teaspoon of salt flakes until softened.
2. Add the thyme, potato and stock and gently simmer for 15 – 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
3. Using a stick or bench-top blender, puree together with the sour cream until smooth. Season to taste.
4. Fry the bacon in a pan until crispy and then roughly chop. Combine with the walnuts, spring onion, chopped celery leaves, white wine vinegar and olive oil with a little freshly cracked black pepper.
5. Serve the soup garnished with reserved celery leaves and a spoonful of the bacon and walnut vinaigrette.