Roasted Butternut Squash Soup With Smoky Bacon Food

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH SMOKY BACON *

Steps:

• 1. Toss squash and carrots with olive oil. Arrange in baking dish and roast uncovered in preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender.
• 2. In large soup pot, cook bacon until crisp; remove bacon with slotted spoon and reserve for the soup garnish. Add onions to soup pot and sauté in bacon drippings over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.
• 3. Add roasted vegetables and chicken broth to soup pot and bring to a boil; remove from heat. Working in several small batches, blend soup in food processor or blender until smooth. Return to soup pot, bring to a simmer and season with salt and pepper.
• 4. Serve soup in large bowls garnished with crisp crumbled bacon.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND BACON SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray. Place butternut squash, onion, bell pepper and bacon in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Add olive oil and garlic; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Gently toss to combine. Place into oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until butternut squash is tender, stirring at halftime.* Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add butternut squash mixture and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in chicken stock and puree with an immersion blender. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5-10 minutes. If the soup is too thick, add more chicken stock as needed until desired consistency is reached. Serve immediately, garnished with bacon, goat cheese and chives, if desired.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH APPLES AND BACON

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place squash in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil; mix to coat; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread squash into a single layer on a baking pan. Roast the squash in the preheated oven, turning once, until fork-tender and caramelized; 30 to 40 minutes.
• Place the bacon in a Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon slices to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the drippings in the pan.
• Place the onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf, curry powder, thyme, and salt and pepper in the Dutch oven; cook in reserved bacon drippings until the carrots and celery are soft. Mix in the apples and cooked squash and cook another 5 minutes. Stir the garlic into the mixture and cook another 1 minute. Pour the apple cider over the mixture; reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer; allow to reduce to about half its original volume. Stir in the chicken stock; simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes.
• Puree the soup in small batches in a blender, or use an immersion blender. If using a blender, don't fill the blender more than half-way. Always remove the center lid piece of a stand blender when blending hot liquids so the steam can escape. Cover the hole with a dish towel while blending. Stir the nutmeg into the soup. Garnish each bowl with 1 tablespoon of sour cream and some of the bacon pieces to serve.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the squash pieces cut-side up on the baking sheet. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and brush all of it over the tops and insides of the squash halves. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast until knife tender, about 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• Chop onion into medium dice. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add RawSpiceBar's Pumpkin Spices and stir for an additional 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
• When the squash is ready, set the baking sheet on a wire rack until the squash is cool enough to handle. Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh into the saucepan.
• Add broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking up any large pieces of squash, until the flavors meld, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the cream.
• Using a blender, purée the soup in batches until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve garnished with the pumpkin seeds, if using.