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Healthy, elegant and full of flavor, this delicious Roasted Butternut Bacon Soup is perfect for lunches, casual dinners, and meals on the run! It also makes a wonderful appetizer soup!
What's not to love about a silky smooth, slightly smoky, super delicious soup that's loaded with all sorts of healthy fruit and veggies? Recently, after seeing a huge display of butternut squash (and throwing a few in my cart), ideas for this Roasted Butternut Bacon Soup started swirling around in my head...
I could hardly wait to put my ideas to work when I got home and when I served it that night for dinner with a simple green salad and a loaf of warm, crusty bread, everyone agreed it was a winner.
Even better the next day!
I've served it since as appetizer soup served in small pretty bowls and as a hearty lunch after an autumn hike. I love that it can be made a day or two in advance and just seems to get better as all the flavors have a chance to meld.
Loaded with nutritious ingredients
You might be thinking that it's not a very healthy soup since it's called Butternut Bacon Soup. Bacon tends to get a bad rap, but I think it's a fabulous ingredient (when used in moderation), that adds a super delicious layer of smokey flavor.
Plus, this Roasted Butternut Bacon Soup calls for four strips of smoky bacon and makes 8-10 servings, so divided up, that's not much bacon per serving. Plus, there's butternut squash, which is loaded with great nutrition, along with onions, bell peppers and apple. The apple adds a touch of sweetness to this wonderfully savory soup.
The easy way to cook butternut squash
The beauty of this Roasted Butternut Bacon Soup is that everything's done in one pot except roasting the squash. I love preparing squash for soup in the oven. I simply half the squash and coat the outside with a bit of oil. Into the oven it goes until it's is soft, tender and scoopable. There's no peeling or dicing involved so it's definitely a time-saver and the seeds are super easy to scoop out at this point.
Roasting also causes the squash to caramelize a bit adding another layer of delicious flavor. The final step is pureeing everything to a silky smooth texture. You can either use an immersion blender or a regular blender for this.
I love to finish this soup off with the reserved bacon, a sprinkle of Feta cheese and a few fresh thyme leaves for a "pretty as a picture" garnish!
Don't let this wonderful season pass without whipping up a batch of this fabulous, silky smooth, Roasted Butternut Bacon Soup. I think you'll agree, with the first spoonful... this is fall at its finest!
Café Tips for making this Roasted Butternut Bacon Soup
- Butternut squash is usually sold by the pound. They're very heavy and can, therefore, be quite expensive. If you happen to have an Aldi nearby, they're usually priced per unit and end up being MUCH cheaper. The squash I used could have cost as much as $4.50 if I purchased it by the pound but it was $1.89 at Aldi! (This is not a sponsored post.)
- Most squash, especially butternut is very difficult to cut as they are so hard and dense. I've found that if you place the whole squash in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, it softens enough to make cutting much easier.
- This soup makes a fairly large batch but it's delicious for lunches and quick meals on the run. I like to add a simple green salad and a loaf of crusty bread for a delicious, casual meal.
- It also freezes well. If it separates a bit as it thaws, just give it a good stir to combine everything back together.
- I love my immersion blender. It's a little kitchen workhorse for me at this time of year when I'm making lots of soups. You can blend everything right in the pot so it saves time and extra dirty dishes. I've tried different immersion blenders, some simple, some super fancy, but I really like this Cuisinart 200-Watt Immersion Blender.
Healthy, elegant and full of flavor, this delicious Roasted Butternut Bacon Soup is perfect for lunches, casual dinners and meals on the run! It also makes a wonderful appetizer soup!
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large butternut squash around 3 pounds
- 4 strips thick-cut smoky bacon cut in half lengthwise and then cut in small dice
- 1 large onion roughly chopped
- 3 medium cloves garlic smashed and peeled
- 1 large golden delicious apple cored and cut into chunks - don't worry about peeling it
- 1 large yellow or orange bell pepper coarsely chopped
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
- ¼ cup half and half
- freshly ground black pepper
- crumbled Feta cheese for garnish
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Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup.
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Place whole butternut squash in the microwave and cook on high power for 2 minutes. Remove from microwave (using a hot pad or clean kitchen towel) and place it on a large cutting board. Cut a tiny slice off the bottom end of the squash, then set it on the work surface, with the cut side down. Starting at the top, sliced it in half vertically.
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Drizzle olive oil on the prepared sheet pan. Rub the oil with your hands to coat the foil, then place halved squash on the foil (cut side down) and rub the skin all over with your oiled hands. Place pan in the oven and roast 40-45 minutes, until squash is very tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then scoop out the seeds and discard. Scoop out the squash and set it aside.
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While the squash is roasting, cook bacon over medium heat in a medium-large dutch oven until crisp and golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
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You should have about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan. If there's more than that, discard anything above 2 tablespoons.
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Continuing with medium heat, add the onions, apple, bell pepper, garlic cloves, cumin, curry and cinnamon to the bacon fat in the pot. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the veggies are softened and onions translucent.
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Add chicken stock and roasted squash. Cook, covered (with lid slightly vented) for 20 minutes or until veggies are very soft and tender. Remove from heat, add fresh thyme and puree with an immersion (stick) blender or a regular blender. If using a regular blender, allow the soup to cool for a while before blending to prevent a messy explosion (caused by steam building up in the blender container). Also, if using a regular blender, leave the center cap off but cover the opening with a small kitchen funnel or a clean kitchen towel while blending.
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Add half and half and stir well. Taste and add more salt, if needed and a generous grind of fresh pepper.
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Serve in pretty bowls, garnished with a spoonful of crumbled Feta cheese, a sprinkle of the reserved bacon and more fresh thyme leaves.
See Café Tips above for further instructions and more detailed tips.
Thought for the day:
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 9:9-10
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.
Linna Merth says
love, love, love this soup! I do make it for my son, who eats vegan, and substitute a vegetable type soy sauce for the bacon. Turns out excellent also.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Linna, I know others will find that helpful.
Debbie says
Hi Chris, I love all your recipes (and I've made many) but today I'm trying this soup. I have cubed butternut squash and I'm wondering how long I have to roast the squash, seeing that it's already cubed. Many thanks.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Debbie, just toss the squash with some olive oil and roast until it’s tender and stating to caramelize about. About20-26 minutes at 400F. Stir it a few times to redistribute and prevent burning.
kathy dinicola says
Delish!! Another keeper for my rotation. The bacon and feta add that extra saltiness and works really well. Thanks for the recipe!
Vivian says
Hi Chris,
Thanks for the recipe for the squash soup. However...are you able to give an approximate number in cups of how much squash 3 lbs. is. It helps with either fresh and especially when using frozen squash. Thanking you, Vivian
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Vivian, good question! A three-pound squash will yield 4-4½ cups of cubed squash.
Mary Giddings says
I just cannot work out what the 1/4 Cup, half and half means. Could you please tell me. Thank You.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Mary, half and half is an American product that is half milk and half cream. You could just substitute cream. Hope that helps!
Martha Duensing says
The Roasted Butternut and Bacon Soup sounds delicious and I will be making. My question is, I have two small homegrown pumpkins that need to be used, could I substitute these for the butternut squash?
DC says
Hi Chris, If I wanted to use pre-cut butternut from the grocery store, or frozen, would you still use 3 lbs, or maybe reduce the amount? Don't if you could approximate the amount you need in cups? Can't wait to try this!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi DC, I would use about 2½ pounds of pre-cut squash. Hope you enjoy it!
Carolyn says
Hi Chris,
I made this soup yesterday and it was just delicious - and you're right, it does get more flavorful as it "ages". (I liked it so much that I had a small serving with breakfast this morning.) When I made it, I only had a sweet red pepper on hand, so I used that - it was wonderful.
Thanks again for all the great recipes you share with all of us on your blog - it's sincerely appreciated.
Chris Scheuer says
Haha, you sound like me, Carolyn, soup for breakfast! Thanks for taking the time to share your results! ❤️ Chris
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! I’m so glad you loved this soup, Carolyn! Thank you so much for sharing your results!!
Toni says
Hi Scott and Chris! Happy, happy Fall! Happy sweater weather too!
Boy oh boy, this soup is awesomeness in a bowl! Just perfect for this chilly season. I made this yesterday for us and it was just the right thickness for a thick slice of crusty bread and butter, let alone the absolute delicious flavor. I wasn’t sure about how cinnamon and cumin would work but it was a perfect balance to make this soup have that “zing” that gave this some major respect.
Once again, thank you for another out-of-the-ballpark homerun recipe.......you two are the best!
Liz Berg says
Such a delicious way to celebrate the fall weather that finally arrived today! Yum!
Tricia B says
I could eat butternut squash everyday so I know this soup would be a favorite. That color and texture - amazing! Pinned
Colleen says
I have used frozen butternut squash cubes in a bag in pumpkin soup. Works great instead of fresh.
Dawn Criqui says
Hi Chris, I really enjoy your recipes and I love the picture of you with your hubby! I want to try this soup tonight for dinner. I have the butternut squash but I also have a delicata, both from our garden, to use up as well. What do you think about mixing the two squashes in the same soup? I will value your advice. Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Dawn, thanks so much for your kind and encouraging words.
I think it would be delicious to combine the two squashes! Let us know how you like it!
Jan Wittman says
This recipe looks amazing! I have a big bag of frozen butternut squash cubes from Costco calling me from the freezer and I know just what I am going to make with it. Many thanks for all your wonderful articles and recipes!
Chris Scheuer says
Alright! Enjoy it, Jan!