Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon
butternut squash and bacon soup

Photo by Holly A. Heyser

There are a million recipes for pumpkin or squash soup on the Internet, but I’d like to think mine is a little different — thanks to bacon and creme fraiche.

I used an unsmoked bacon and butternut squash for this recipe, but you could use regular bacon and pumpkin, too. Remember that pumpkin is more watery than butternut squash, and that smoked bacon can be overpowering. Salt pork is an excellent substitute for unsmoked bacon.

If you can’t find creme fraiche, use sour cream.

This soup will last for 3-4 days in the fridge, so you can make a double batch if you want.

Serve 4-6

  • 1/2 large yellow or white onion
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/3 to 1/2 pound bacon or salt pork, diced
  • 1 quart turkey, chicken or vegetable stock
  • 5 bay leaves
  • 1 butternut squash
  • Salt
  • 2 heaping tablespoons creme fraiche

 

  1. Peel and chop the squash into chunks.
  2. In a large pot, heat the butter over medium-high heat and add the onions and bacon. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent. You don’t want them browning.
  3. Pour in the stock, add the squash and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook for an hour. Stir it once or twice in that time.
  4. Uncover the pot, remove the bay leaves and puree the soup, either with an immersion blender, by moving it to a blender or a food processor, or by pushing it through a food mill.
  5. Return the soup to the pot, put the bay leaves back in and simmer, uncovered, for another 30 minutes. Stir frequently.
  6. Taste the soup for salt and add any if needed. Right before you serve, whisk in the creme fraiche. Garnish with rosemary flowers if you have them.

More Vegetable Recipes

Print This Page

________________