Just tell whomever this evening that dinner includes bacon, wine and chanterelles and they will be begging to join you for the meal. This soup is a modification off one that showed up in my Facebook feed and originally posted on NotWithoutSalt. Chanterelles have a short growing season in the Pacific Northwest and are best enjoyed with butter, but bacon takes a close second. What I love about this soup is that the fats make it highly satiating yet it does not sit heavily in the stomach. I won’t fault you one bit for serving it with a crusty bread; gluten or grain free folks may enjoy it alongside broiled chicken thighs and a herb infused cauliflower rice.
Sinful Chanterelle Chowder with Bacon
Serves 8
- 8 strips bacon, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 bulb fennel, diced
- 4 large garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
- 12 ounces roughly chopped chanterelles
- 1 cup white wine
- 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 3 cups cubed yellow potatoes (3 medium)
- 1 can light coconut milk
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
- 1 tsp. each salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Cook the bacon in a large dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat until the fat renders and it just starts to crisp, 5-7 minutes. Add the onion, fennel and garlic with a pinch of salt then sauté for an additional 7 minutes until the onions are translucent.
Turn the heat to medium-high then add the herbes de Provence and chanterelles and sauté until caramelized in parts, 3-5 minutes. Add wine, scraping up any browned bits off the bottom.
Add the stock and potatoes, bring to a simmer then cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Add the coconut milk, stir in dill, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper. Finish with lemon juice then taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.