Salmon, Leek & Sweet Potato Bisque

As someone who loves seafood in all shapes and forms I have to make a confession:  seafood bisques really are not my forte.  It’s not that I don’t like them (unless they’re bad…when they’re bad they’re REALLY REALLY bad), I just happen to enjoy my fish or shellfish better in other ways.

 

I guess that’s why when I was thinking of a way to make a rich and creamy soup I just went ahead and jumped on the chance to do a seafood bisque.  I know that I can make a mean broiled or grilled salmon filet, but to flake it off and have it in a soup?  What can I say, I like a challenge!

 

One of my favorite parts of this soup is the fact that it contains leeks.  They are by far one of my favorite and underused vegetables.  They’re sweet and buttery by nature, so when you sauté and broil them the flavor is just out of control.  Sure, they require a little extra cleaning, but the payoff is worth it!

 

And the sweet potatoes?  Let’s just say I’m obsessed lately.  I make them for Wes, I make them for me, and I think of ways to use them almost every day.  Naturally I baked some off and threw them in here for added flavor, color, and nutrition.

 

The great thing about this recipe is that it’s virtually guilt-free.  The use of Silk Pure Almond Original Unsweetened makes the bisque creamy and rich without the added fat of heavy cream and nonfat milk.  Everything else is delicious healthy veggies and seafood…what’s not to love?

SALMON, LEEK & SWEET POTATO BISQUE

• 4 5-oz filets wild Alaskan salmon, skin on
• 3 leeks, white and light green parts only, washed and roughly chopped
• 1 cup red bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 2 whole sweet potatoes
• 3 cloves of garlic, roughly minced
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups Silk Pure Almond Original Unsweetened
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 3 cups water

To roast the sweet potatoes wash and dry them thoroughly.  Wrap in foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for 60-70 minutes until very soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool while the soup is cooking.

 

To roast the salmon, place skin-side-down on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.  Do not season; simply roast in the same 400 degree oven for about 7-8 minutes until just done enough to flake.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool while the soup is cooking.

 

For the bisque, heat the canola oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add the leeks, bell pepper, and garlic and sauté for 7-8 minutes until soft.   Add the Old Bay, vegetable stock and water, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium again until the liquid has reduced by half.  At this point carefully remove the skin from the sweet potatoes and add the flesh to the soup.  There is no need to chop at this point, just add stir to break it up slightly.

 

Working in batches puree the soup in a blender or food processor until completely smooth; return to the soup pot.  Stir in the Silk Pure Almond Original Unsweetened until well combined and allow to heat through.  At this time flake the baked salmon into the soup.  Serve hot.

Finally, here’s the breakdown in nutritional info.  A pretty sizable difference per serving!

Nutritional information:

Using milk:

• Calories: 490
• Protein: 31.2 g
• Carbs: 26.0 g
• Fat: 28.8 g
• Saturated Fat: 11.1 g
• Cholesterol: 125.8 mg
• Sodium: 289.1 mg
• Fiber: 3.0 g

Using Silk Pure Almond Vanilla Unsweetened:

• Calories: 350
• Protein: 29.3 g
• Carbs: 23.3 g
• Fat: 15.0 g
• Saturated Fat: 2.0 g
• Cholesterol: 70.7 mg
• Sodium: 312.8 mg
• Fiber: 3.4 g

Total caloric savings over milk: 140 calories!

I was compensated by FitFluential LLC  for this campaign. All opinions are my own.