Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Bacon

I created this roasted butternut squash soup with apples and bacon on Christmas Eve, which was a huge hit. The caramelized roasted squash gives the soup extra depth of flavor. This soup has a very creamy consistency but is completely dairy-free except for the optional garnish of sour cream (I did this on purpose due to a guest who was allergic to dairy). It is also extremely healthy. Don’t shy away from the curry powder; it gives the soup extra flavor. Feel free to play around with the amount of carrot, onion, celery, or garlic to your taste. This soup can be made the day before and reheated.

Preparation Details

Prep Time: 40 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 1 (3 pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 8 strips bacon, chopped
• 6 stalks celery, chopped
• 6 carrots, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cubed
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 ½ quarts chicken stock
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (Optional)
• 1 ½ cups sour cream

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Toss squash with olive oil in a large bowl until coated; season with salt and black pepper. Spread squash into a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Roast in the preheated oven until fork-tender and caramelized, 30 to 40 minutes, turning once.
4. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, reserving drippings in the Dutch oven.
5. Add celery, carrots, onion, curry powder, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper to the Dutch oven; cook until celery and carrots are soft. Stir in apples and roasted squash; cook 5 minutes more. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more.
6. Add apple cider. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer; cook until reduced by half. Stir in chicken stock; simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Fill blender halfway with soup or use an immersion blender. Cover and hold lid down with a dish towel; pulse a few times before leaving on to purée. Repeat with remaining soup in batches. If using a blender, don’t fill the blender more than halfway. Always remove the center lid piece of a stand blender when blending hot liquids so steam can escape; cover the hole with a dish towel while blending.
8. Stir nutmeg into soup. Garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream and some bacon pieces.