Last year we planted two butternut squash plants and ended up with more squash than we could eat. This year, I thought I’d be smarter and just planted one. I got three measly fruits. Rats. I love butternut squash. It’s full of vitamins, and fiber and it’s sweet and smooth to boot. This soup combines the flavors of the sweet roasted squash, rosemary, roasted garlic and crispy bacon. It’s one of my favorites and will definitely be a treat this year since I messed up and don’t have much to show for my gardening efforts. Next year, two plants again!
Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon
This tasty and nutritious soup just tastes like Fall to me! We enjoy this most with a loaf of warm crusty bread.
Equipment
- cookie sheet
- soup pot
- frying pan
- immersion blender
Ingredients
- 1 large Butternut squash roasted and scooped from skin
- 1 head Roasted garlic chopped
- 1/2 lb Bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 sprig Fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 1/2 cups Chicken stock or water
- 2 cups Milk
- 1 tsp Vegetable bullion paste or one chicken bullion cube
- 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup Sour cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Wash and cut off ends of butternut squash with a sharp knife
- Slice squash down its length and coop out seeds with a spoon and discard
- Drizzle cookie sheet with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil
- Place sliced squash cut side down on cookie sheet
- Peel papery outer layers away from garlic head and slice off about 1/4" from top of bulb to expose the cloves inside
- Place garlic bulb on a small sheet of tin foil and drizzle cut top with olive oil; sprinkle with salt
- Ball up tin foil to encase garlic bulb and set on cookie sheet next to squash
- Bake squash and garlic for 45 minutes and then let cool enough to touch; squash should feel squishy when you give it a squeeze and be slightly brown and bubbly on skin
- While squash cools, cook bacon in a frying pan until crispy, drain onto paper towel and crumble; reserve for topping soup
- Reserve a one tablespoon of rendered bacon fat and saute onion and rosemary until herbs are fragrant and onions are translucent
- Add onion, rosemary, chicken stock, milk, vegetable bullion paste, roasted garlic, and squash to soup pan, using immersion blender, blend until smooth and creamy
- Add in Parmesan cheese and sour cream
- Turn heat on under soup pan until warmed through; taste for salt and pepper
- Serve warm with crumbled bacon on top
Notes
For greater depth of flavor, I'll sometimes substitute left over chicken gravy for the chicken stock! It really enhances the richness of the soup and thickens it up nicely too!
