BLT Soup

• 5 slices bacon, diced small
• 1/2  cup  diced green onions
• 2  tablespoon  butter
• 3  cup  iceberg lettuce, julienne
• 1/2  cup  instant-blending flour
• 3 1/2  cup  fresh or canned chicken broth, heated to a simmer
• 1  cup  diced fresh tomatoes
• 1/8  teaspoon  grated fresh nutmeg
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1  cup  heavy cream
• 1/4  cup  mayonnaise
• 1/4  cup  sour cream
• crisp crumbled bacon

In a 3-quart pot, cook the bacon over medium heat till lightly browned. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until wilted. Add the butter and stir until melted. Add the lettuce and saute for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the pot, then stir it in until well blended. Remove the pot from the heat and add the hot chicken broth, tomatoes, nutmeg and pepper. Heat the soup to boiling, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Add the cream and mix well. Mix together the mayonnaise and sour cream.

Serve each portion of soup with a dollop of mayonnaise mixture topped with crumbled bacon.

Yield: 8 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ease of preparation: moderately easy

L&S Too, Pg. 29

Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen