Recipe #31: Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Bacon

I’m just going to pretend like I didn’t set that goal last year of cooking a new recipe each week and pick up right where I left off (truth be told, I probably did come close to achieving the goal, but fell short in posting about it regularly).

I have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of butternut squash, on its own at least, but when I saw this combination of bacon (makes everything better) and apple, I thought it was definitely worth a try. I only recently saw this recipe again in my files and thought I should make it again soon – it was that tasty! It’s still soup weather, and leftovers are great to bring to work the next day (or two). If you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner, this one calls for only a few ingredients and cooks up pretty quickly. The sweetness of the apples combines so nicely with the saltiness of the bacon, that this really is a nice dinner treat.

To vary this dish, you could try adding extra ingredients of your own. An onion and garlic added while browning the squash will give it added flavour, maybe even a dash of curry for some heat. You could also substitute beef stock over chicken or vegetable for a deeper flavour. And feel free to double the bacon if you like extra topping.

Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Bacon

Serves: 6-7

Cook time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

8 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
2-1/2 lb. butternut squash (about 1 medium), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice (to yield about 6 cups)
1 small Granny Smith or other tart-sweet apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice (to yield about 1 cup)
1-1/2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh sage leaves
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 cups low-salt chicken or vegetable broth

DIRECTIONS

In a 5-quart or larger stockpot set over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.

Increase heat to medium high. Add the squash to the pot with the bacon fat and cook until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes (resist the urge to stir it too often or it won’t brown). Stir in the apple, sage, salt, and pepper and cook for about 4 minutes (you’ll see more browning occur on the bottom of the pot than on the vegetables). Add the broth, scraping up any browned bits in the pot with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until the squash and apples are very soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool somewhat.

Add about half the bacon to the soup and purée, using a stand or immersion blender (you’ll need to work in batches if using a stand blender). Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Reheat the soup and garnish each serving with the remaining bacon.