Recipe: Simple Chicken Bacon Chowder

This week we’ve had a lot of leftovers.  I think it is because my husband has had United Way lunch events at work and consequently, has not taken them for lunch.  I had a whole chicken that needed to be cooked, which I did yesterday, but that was not actually part of Thursday’s dinner.  So I stripped the meat off the carcass, made stock and was left to invent a meal with left over chicken and whatever vegetables were available at home.

Here’s the result: Chicken Bacon Chowder.  Totally Paleo.  Super quick. So good. A tribute to my grandmother’s Corn Chowder.

Ingredients

• 5 strips bacon, snipped into thin strips (I use scissors)
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 2 large sweet potatoes, cubed
• 6 carrots, sliced
• 3-4 c chicken stock, homemade
• 2-3 c cooked chicken, diced
• pepper to taste
• garnish: cilantro, red pepper flakes, use your imagination.

In a large pot, over medium high heat, fry the bacon and onions until the onions become translucent.  Add the sweet potatoes and carrots, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the 3 cups of stock – use more if you want a thinner consistency (you can always add it later).  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Once the sweet potatoes are soft, mash them in the pot to make the soup creamy.  I used a fork so that I could avoid mashing the carrots but you could use a potato masher too.

Ladle yourself a bowl and top with chopped chicken (cold or heated, up to you) and garnish with cilantro, red pepper flakes, avocado, whatever strikes your fancy.  Serve with a green salad.

This chowder has a smoky flavour due to the bacon and I imagine some sort of chipotle chili sauce drizzled on top would also be excellent.  Unfortunately, none in the house.

Enjoy!