Mushroom, Sweet Potato, and Smoked Gouda Chowder

April 26, 2012

I fell in love with this recipe long before I tasted it. Just a glance at its list of ingredients and I was infatuated. I had to have it. And as soon as the opportune day (of the dreary cold variety that are meant for soup encounters) presented itself, it was a date. As predicted, this chowder and I got along swell. Who wouldn’t hit it off with a bowl of steaming bits of crispy bacon, chunks of hearty mushroom and sweet potato, and smooth smoky gouda? Creamy and hearty and wholesome. I suppose you could leave out the bacon and make it even healthier (and vegetarian) or use plain ‘ol white potatoes instead of yams. But I wouldn’t bother. This dish is perfect just the way it is.

Mushroom, Sweet Potato, and Smoked Gouda Chowder

INGREDIENTS

6 slices bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs.), peeled and cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1 cup half and half
4 oz. smoked gouda
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside.

2. Add the diced onions and the mushrooms to the bacon fat in the pot. Season with a little salt and pepper, and cook until the moisture released from the mushrooms evaporates and the vegetables start to brown, about 10-15 minutes.

3. Add the sweet potatoes and garlic, stirring to combine. Add the thyme, bay leaf, and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Return most of the bacon to the pot, leaving a little extra to garnish the soup.

4. Remove the bay leaf. Puree as much or as little of the mixture as you want in a food processor, and return the pureed soup to the pot (alternatively, use an immersion blender). Add the half and half and the gouda. Simmer until the soup has heated through and the cheese has melted. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve, garnished with the extra bacon.

Serves 4-6.

(Adapted from Our Life in Food)

15 thoughts on “Mushroom, Sweet Potato, and Smoked Gouda Chowder

  1. Butch Luedke

    I made this today, however, I didn’t have cremini mushrooms available to me so I substituted baby bellas. Guess what – it still came out delicious! (And it was so easy and simple to make) I’ll be adding your excellent soup to my favorites. Thanks for sharing with us.

    Reply
    1. Jessie Davis Post author

      From what I understand baby bellas and creminis are pretty much the same mushroom, just different names! Glad you loved it!

      Reply
  2. kaitlyn c.

    how do you prepare the gouda for the soup? is it sliced, shredded, cubed? sounds delicious though, my husband loves gouda, and i love sweet potatoes!

    Reply
  3. Kelly

    I made this today and, while I loved the flavor, I think the texture was off. Any suggestions as to something I might have done wrong? I used my food processor to purée about 80% of the mixture.It just came out a little bit like the consistency of baby food. Would love to figure this out as the flavor of this soup was great. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
    1. Jessie Davis Post author

      Sounds like a bit too much purée that would make it mushy I think. This is one of my favorite soups- usually I just purée a small amount of it, leaving lots of the potatoes etc in tact. Hope it turns out better next time!

      Reply
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  5. Hannah

    I just made this delicious chowder and it was an instant hit! The flavors were complex and complemented each other perfectly. Simple recipe and yummy ingredients. Thank you!

    Reply
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  9. Lara Heinz

    I just made this and it was SO GOOD! I made it in my crock pot by reducing the broth to a cup and a half. I omitted the bacon to make it vegetarian (though I’m sure it would have taken it to another level!), and it was so tasty when I tried it that I didn’t bother adding the half and half. Great recipe… thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  10. Laura

    You have a beautiful blog with so many inspiring posts! Congrats on your work!
    Would you like to keep in touch following each other?

    Reply

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