Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Pancetta
There are a zillion butternut squash soup recipes out there, but this one takes things over the top! Literally! This silky smooth, flavorful soup is topped with crispy pancetta, salty Feta and a sprinkle of fresh thyme... so delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 medium butternut squash totalling 4-4 ½ pounds (or 1 large candy roaster squash)
- ½ pound pancetta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion peeled and roughly chopped (about ¾ cup)
- 4 medium cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 8 ounces carrots (peeled and roughly chopped)
- 2 medium apples peeled, cored and roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon mild curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 8 sprigs of fresh thyme tied together with kitchen twine
- 14.5-ounce can light coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Feta cheese and fresh thyme for garnish
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line a sheet pan with foil and drizzle with about 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. Place several layers of paper towels on the counter near the oven.
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Cut a butternut squash in half and place it, cut side down, on the sheet pan. Drape the pancetta over the butternut squash. If you have extra pancetta, place it around the squash on the foil. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until the pancetta is nice and crisp and most of the fat has been rendered. Remove the pancetta and drain on several thicknesses of paper toweling.
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Return the squash to the oven and continue roasting until it’s very tender and a small knife can be easily inserted into the flesh. Remove the squash from the oven and set aside to cool.
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While the squash and pancetta are roasting, melt the butter over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly for another 30 seconds.
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Add the chicken broth, carrots, apples, cinnamon, salt, curry powder, pepper, nutmeg and thyme sprigs. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat a bit to a steady simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, uncovered until carrots and apples are very tender.
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Using a large spoon, remove the seeds from the butternut squash and discard. Remove the flesh and transfer to the pot. Add the coconut milk and maple syrup. Transfer the soup to a blender and puree in batches until smooth and creamy or use an immersion blender to puree the soup right in the pot.
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Serve the soup, topped with the crispy pancetta, a sprinkle of Feta cheese and plenty of fresh thyme leaves.
Recipe Notes
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips.