Instant Pot Instructions:

1. Cook bacon: Hit "Sauté" on your 6-quart Instant Pot, 8-quart Instant Pot, or comparable electric pressure cooker. Add bacon to the pot, and sauté until crisp, about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to a plate covered in paper towel, leaving the bacon fat in the pot. Set bacon aside. Carefully drain all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from the pot (eye-ball it, don’t measure).
2. Sauté leek: Add garlic-infused oil to the remaining bacon fat in the pot and swirl to coat. Add leeks and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Sauté sage leaves: Add sage leaves and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
4. Deglaze: Hit “Cancel” on the Instant Pot. Add 1 cup of the chicken bone broth, wait about 15 seconds, and scrape the bottom of the pot clean with a plastic spoon or spatula (I love my Instant Pot spatula).
5. Add ingredients: Add the remaining 2 cups of chicken bone broth, dried chives, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and pumpkin pie spice to the pot and stir.
6. Pressure Cook: Close the lid and set the pressure release valve to "Sealing." Press the "Pressure Cook" or “Manual” button and set the timer for 10 minutes.
7. Quick release: Once the cooking cycle has completed, quick release the pressure. Open lid and allow the soup to cool for a few minutes.
8. Blend: Add 1/3 of the reserved bacon. Using an immersion blender (or carefully transferring to a regular blender), carefully blend the soup on low until smooth.
9. Add cream: Stir in (do not blend) heavy cream or coconut cream and remaining bacon. Taste the soup and adjust seasonings as desired.
10. Serve: Ladle soup into 5 soup bowls. Serve as part of a fall lunch or light dinner.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

1. Cook bacon: Place a large skillet stove top on medium heat. Add the chopped bacon pieces and sauté until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to a plate covered in paper towel, leaving the bacon fat behind in the skillet. Carefully drain all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from the skillet (eye-ball it, don’t measure). Cover and place cooked bacon in the refrigerator until soup is done slow cooking.
2. Sauté leek: Place skillet back on medium heat. Add garlic infused olive oil and swirl to coat. Add leeks and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Sauté sage leaves: Add sage leaves and sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
4. Deglaze + Transfer: Pour 1 cup of the chicken bone broth into the skillet and scrape up anything on the bottom. Remove skillet from heat. Carefully pour skillet contents into a slow cooker (I use a 6-quart Crock-Pot), using a heat resistant spatula to scrape every bit of soup into the slow cooker.
5. Add ingredients: Add the remaining 2 cups of chicken bone broth, pumpkin puree, dried chives, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and pumpkin pie spice to the slow cooker and stir.
6. Slow cook: Set slow cooker timer for 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high.
7. Cool: Once the cooking time is finished, turn off slow cooker. Remove lid and allow the soup to cool for a few minutes.
8. Blend: Add 1/3 of the reserved bacon to the soup. Using an immersion blender (or carefully transferring to a regular blender), carefully blend the soup on low until smooth.
9. Add cream: Stir in (do not blend) heavy cream or coconut cream and remaining bacon. Taste the soup and adjust seasonings as desired.
10. Serve: Ladle soup into 5 soup bowls. Serve as part of a fall lunch or light dinner.