Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon

Butternut Squash Soup is a wonderful Autumn soup and is so comforting on cool days. The wonderful flavor comes from roasting the vegetables in the oven, and adding two interesting spices as well.

Another recipe re-do coming at you. Same recipe, more detail. 🙂

I think I’ve finally found the perfect balance for this recipe. It’s smooth but not too smooth, spicy but not too spicy, and it tastes like home. The vegetables are ones I cook often, and instead of just roasting and eating them, I’m taking it one step further and turning them into a delicious blend of comfort – Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon.

The best part is that my boys love it too. Drum roll….bacon is the answer. Not TOO much bacon. Just a few slices. Because everything is better with bacon.

The key to great tasting Butternut Squash Soup is threefold.

• One, roasting the veggies with olive oil and salt & pepper – instead of boiling the veggies – is KEY.
• Two, using a bit of cream or half and half is another must. A little (just one half of a cup) goes a long way here.
• And three, yup…bacon. I cooked six slices for this recipe and saved a bit for the garnish. And I might have nibbled a bit.

The vegetables.

1. butternut squash
2. onion
3. celery
4. carrots

When roasting a butternut squash, you can either roast it with the skin on (cut in half and seeds removed), or the way I show below.

1. Cut off both ends and peel the squash.
2. Slice in in half both ways and remove seeds.
3. Chop in bite sized pieces, and season with olive oil, s&p.

If you don’t want to hassle with pouring hot soup (dangerous!) into a blender, use an immersion blender. It’s great because you can puree any soup right in the pan. It saves on dishes and on patience. I use mine in soups a lot, like in my Sweet Potato Turkey Chili, my Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons, and others.

The spices.

• cinnamon – for some sweetness, which is a great combo with cayenne
• cayenne pepper – gives a little kick, just not overpowering.

Try to imagine a chilly, blustery fall day – leaves falling, a fireplace, hot apple cider, and being with the ones you love. And a big bowl of this Butternut Squash Soup. These are what dreams are made of.

We Texans dream big (on 80 degree fall days)!

Try this soup next: Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

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5 from 2 votes

Print

Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 30 mins

 

Butternut Squash Soup is a wonderful Autumn soup and is so comforting on cool days. The wonderful flavor comes from roasting the vegetables in the oven, and adding two interesting spices as well.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: butternut squash soup

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 221 kcal

Author: Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash - peeled, cubed, & seeds removed
• 4 large carrots - peeled and cubed
• 3 stalks celery - chopped
• 1 medium onion - chopped
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 6 slices bacon - diced
• 3 cloves garlic - diced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper - use less if you want less spicy
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup half and half

Instructions

1. Peel and dice the butternut squash, removing the seeds. Peel carrots and chop them along with the celery and onion. Add all veggies to two roasting pans and top with olive oil, salt and pepper. Coat to combine.

2. Roast vegetables in 375 degree convection oven (or 400 degree regular oven) until soft. Remove from oven and set aside. (Reserve a few chunks of squash for topping the soup. Presentation purposes only.)

3. Dice bacon and fry in large stock pan, until crisp. Remove bacon, drain all but two tablespoons of the fat, and set aside.

4. Add diced garlic to pan (with reserved bacon fat) and stir for 30 seconds. Add the roasted vegetables, half of the bacon, the chicken broth and the cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Use an immersion blender (or pour into a blender) to cream the vegetables and bacon until mostly smooth. (It's ok to have a few small chunks remaining.)

6. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until heated through and then add the half and half. Stir and remove from heat.
7. To serve, add another swirl of half and half and some of the reserved chopped bacon.

Recipe Notes

1. Roasting the vegetables before adding to soup pot is KEY.
2. The spices - cinnamon and cayenne - are what gives it interest.
3. You can substitute milk for half and half, is so desired.
4. Save some bacon pieces and a few chunks of squash for topping the soup. Presentation purposes only.

Nutrition Facts

Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon

Amount Per Serving

Calories 221 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 18g 28%

Saturated Fat 5g 25%

Cholesterol 21mg 7%

Sodium 1552mg 65%

Potassium 433mg 12%

Total Carbohydrates 9g 3%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 3g

Protein 4g 8%

Vitamin A 165.3%

Vitamin C 19.9%

Calcium 6.1%

Iron 3.7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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