Chipotle Carrot Soup with Red Apple Balsamic-Glazed Bacon

Ingredient Spotlight. Our Red Apple Dark Balsamic Vinegar glazes the bacon into something jammy and irresistible, while our Chipotle Infused Olive Oil builds a warm, smoky heat right into the base — and doubles as the finishing drizzle.

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon
• ¼ cup Red Apple Dark Balsamic Vinegar
• ¼ onion, chopped
• 1½ lb carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch rounds
• 1 Tbsp Chipotle Infused Olive Oil, plus more to finish
• 2 Tbsp honey · juice of ½ lemon
• 2¾ cups vegetable or chicken stock · sea salt
• Crème fraîche · sliced scallions · thin red chili · toasted pepitas

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Lay the bacon on a rack over a sheet pan and brush both sides with the Red Apple balsamic. Bake 20 minutes, basting with more balsamic every 5, until glossy and crisp.
2. Warm the Chipotle oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and a pinch of salt; sweat over medium-low 8–10 minutes.
3. Add the carrots with another pinch of salt and sweat 10 minutes more. Stir in the honey and lemon juice.
4. Cover with stock and simmer 20 minutes, until the carrots are tender.
5. Purée until silky, adding stock to loosen as needed; season to taste.
6. Ladle into warm bowls. Top with a dollop of crème fraîche, crumbled balsamic bacon, scallions, chili, and toasted pepitas, then finish with a raw drizzle of Chipotle oil.

Chef's Notes

• Baste the bacon often — those layered coats of balsamic are what make the glaze.
• Sweating (not browning) the carrots keeps the soup sweet and clean-tasting.

Make It Yours

• For a vegetarian bowl, skip the bacon and toss julienned red apple with a splash of Red Apple balsamic as a bright, crunchy garnish, or dust with our Smokey Citrus Salt.

Allergens: contains dairy.

Sweet apple balsamic and smoky chipotle oil are a pairing worth discovering — come taste them at the shop.