Name: Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 large butternut squash (- peeled, cubed, & seeds removed); 3 Tablespoons olive oil (- divided); 1 medium onion (- chopped); 4 large carrots (- peeled and cubed); 3 stalks celery (- chopped); 3 cloves garlic (- diced); kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (- to taste); 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (- use more if you want more spicy); 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 6 slices bacon (- cooked and crumbled); 4 cups chicken broth; 1/2 cup half and half; extra half and half and black pepper (- to serve)

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

Butternut squash is my favorite squash to use in cooking. We love it in my Butternut Squash and Bacon Risotto, the best Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta, and reader-fav Butternut Squash Lasagna with Spinach! Also, make sure you try my Autumn Squash Soup – a Panera copycat!

Two square white bowls of butternut squash soup with bacon.

While food is my love language, soup is my cool-weather love language if that’s a thing. When fall weather comes, or even a little earlier (cuz TEXAS), I’m making all the soups. Following a recipe is a good thing when you are susceptible to making soup for 20 instead of four. I mean, if vegetables are good for you, let’s just add more! Which is why creating these soup recipes (thus putting a limit on ingredients) is so important for me so we can avoid eating the same thing five nights in a row. You’re welcome, family. 😀

The key to great tasting Butternut Squash Soup is threefold.

One, roasting the squash 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.

Side shot of two square bowls of butternut squash soup with bacon.

Ingredients needed for this recipe:

Butternut Squash – One large squash is required for this recipe.
Olive Oil – Used to roast the squash and sauté the other veggies.
Other Soup Veggies – Onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. How I usually start my soup recipes!
Seasonings – Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon.
Bacon – I used six slices of bacon, but you could use less or more. Your choice!
Broth – I almost always use lower sodium chicken broth.
Half and Half – Used to add some creaminess and sweetness to this soup.

How to roast butternut squash:

Cut off both ends and peel the squash.
Slice in in half both ways and remove seeds.
Chop in bite sized pieces, and season with olive oil, s&p.
Bake until fork tender.

How to make this soup recipe

Step 1
Roast squash. Peel and chop squash, removing all seeds. Spread on a baking sheet (or two) and roast in the oven until fork tender. This will take approximately 30 minutes.

Step 2
Fry bacon. In a medium stock pot, add diced bacon, and cook until done. Remove from pot.

Step 3
Sauté veggies. You can remove the bacon grease (and use olive oil) or use it to sauté the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until slightly softened, approximately 6-7 minutes.

Step 4
Add garlic and seasonings. Then add the garlic and seasonings (salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon) and stir for 30 seconds or so.

Step 5
Add broth. Then add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the roasted squash. (Reserve a few chunks for serving the soup, if desired.) Cook until all veggies are tender.

Overhead shot of a stock pot of the soup right after the chunks of roasted butternut squash soup was added.

Step 6
Puree. Remove the stockpot from the heat and puree until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a regular blender but make sure to cool the soup slightly first.

Step 7
Add half and half. Place the pot back on the stove, add the half and half, and heat.

The butternut squash soup right after being pureed, with some half and half on top.

Step 8
Serve. Serve the soup with chunks of reserved squash, the reserved bacon, and some extra black pepper.

Other delicious soup recipes for you to enjoy:

A tray of bowls of butternut squash soup with bacon, with a small bowl of bacon.

Kitchen Tools used for this recipe:

Try this soup next: Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

xoxo ~Sue