This Butternut Squash & Bacon Soup is rich and creamy with a hint of herbs. The soup is puréed then topped with crispy bacon and a drizzle of coconut cream. The perfect cold weather soup. It goes great with a fall harvest salad and some toasted bread.
Butternut & Bacon Soup
Butternut Squash – I like to buy the pre diced Butternut Squash for sheer convenience. But if you go this route, just be sure to look them over real good to make sure they look nice and fresh. There’s nothing worse than funky butternut squash. If you can’t find a good source of prepped squash, you can always buy a fresh one and peel it and dice it. If you peel and dice it yourself, I highly recommend wearing gloves, because they can leave your hands super waxy. You may also try frozen butternut squash.
Bacon – Bacon gives this soup a warm savory depth of flavor. You’ll start this soup recipe by dicing and crisping the bacon in your pan then setting the crispy bacon aside for garnish. Also, you’ll use the bacon fat to sauté the onions and garlic.
Coconut Cream – Coconut cream gives this soup a little nuttiness while keeping the soup on the lighter side. You can buy a 5.4 oz can of coconut cream or a 15 oz can of coconut milk and simply use the cream from the top. You can substitute the coconut cream for heavy cream if you’d like.
Aromatics – Onion, Garlic, and Fresh Rosemary or Thyme all give this soup a lovely flavor. Dorot frozen minced garlic is such a time saver and it taste like you used fresh garlic. If you want a hint of sweetness, add a drizzle of honey or high grade maple syrup.
Diet Friendly – This soup is Paleo, Whole30, Gluten Free and Delicious!
Pairings This Butternut Squash Soup pairs perfectly with a harvest salad with fall and winter vegetables and some toasted bread. Open a bottle of Pinot Grigio or some dry bubbles for a perfect wine pairing. Try our Balsamic Beet & Winter Fruit Salad with it. Perfection!
I highly recommend this this Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender for your kitchen. It makes puréed soups and sauces so much more convenient.
If you’re wanting more delicious soup recipes, try out our Tortellini Chicken Soup or Spiced Tomato Lentil Soup.
The Recipe
Butternut Squash Soup
This Butternut Squash Soup is rich and creamy with a kiss of herbs. It’s the perfect cold weather soup!
Ingredients
- 6 Slices of Bacon, diced
- 1 medium Onion, diced
- 5 cloves of Garlic
- 5 cups Diced Butternut Squash, about 20 oz.
- 3 cups Chicken Broth
- 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
- 1/2 Cup Coconut Cream, or the Cream on top of the Coconut Milk (you may also use heavy cream, if desired)
- 4 Sprigs of Thyme and/or 1 Sprig Rosemary
- 1/4 Cup Pomegranate Seeds for Garnish, optional
Directions
- Step 1 In a medium or large pot, cook the bacon on medium heat until crispy. Then, remove the pan from heat and using a slotted spoon, place the bacon in a small bowl lined with a paper towel. Carefully pour out all but 3 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan.
- Step 2 Next, in the same pan on medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in the bacon fat until soft, about five minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan getting all of the brown bits from the bottom. Then, add butternut squash, broth, coconut cream, herbs, salt and pepper to the pan and bring to a boil.
- Step 3 Once boiling, turn down to a medium-low and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the squash is soft.
- Step 4 Next, remove the thyme or rosemary and blend the soup with a blender or immersion blender until smooth. If you want a hint of sweetness, add a drizzle of honey or high grade maple syrup. Season to taste and keep on low until thickened to desired consistency and ready to serve.
- Step 5 Finally, garnish with bacon and a drizzle of coconut cream.
About the Author
Lauren is a classically trained, professional chef. A culinary school graduate, she has spent time working organic farms in the Italian countryside and was the pastry/sous chef at a high profile restaurant in Dallas prior to becoming a full-time personal chef. Her cooking style is often referred to as “rustic.” Being a personal chef, she is not bound by a single type of cuisine and has had the opportunity to experiment with hundreds of regional recipes from all over the world.
