roasted butternut squash soup

There is nothing quite like a bowl of soup, along with some freshly baked rustic bread. My kids love eating, "a whole meal in a bowl," and I must confess, that with four of them, I love the ease of clean up. Fall screams soup to me.  The smell of roasting vegetables, the taste of food that's been simmering on the stove for hours concentrating its favors.... What's not to like about soup? 

You can make soup from anything, and since stock is one of my five "must have" ingredients, it's always an easy meal.

This particular recipe is one of my favorites.  Rich and flavorful, butternut squash is a great soup alternative if you are tired of the usual chicken and beef varieties.  It's a great way to ensure a healthy serving of vegetables... And plus? There's bacon. 'Nuff said.

Of course, you can always also make this vegan by omitting the bacon, adding 2 extra Tbsp of evoo, and using vegetable stock instead of chicken. Easy swaps to make, that won’t affect the flavor.

Ingredients:

1 10oz package of sugar free bacon, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces

2 Tbsp evoo

1 large or two medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 yellow onion, halved, quartered and halved again

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

8 full thyme stems

4 cups of chicken stock

3 gala apples, cored, and chopped into roughly 1 inch pieces.

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425. 

Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place a large sauce pan on the stove, and turn heat to high. Add bacon. Let go on high for 3-5 minutes, then turn heat down to low, to render fat. You can prepare the rest of your veggies, while bacon cooks down, making sure to stir occasionally.

Rinse the outside of the squash, making sure to remove any dirt or particles. Slice off the top, and continue slicing 1 inch rings down the entire squash. Peel each slice and chop into rough 1 inch pieces. Place equal amounts of squash on both baking sheets.

Add apples, onion, garlic and thyme evenly to both baking sheets.

Add 1 Tbsp of evoo to each pan, and season generously with salt and pepper.

When bacon has cooked until just crispy, remove from pan with slotted spoon, and set on paper towels to drain. 

Pour bacon fat evenly divided over each sheet pan. Toss to coat.

Place pans in oven for 20 minutes. Toss ingredients, then roast for an additional 20 minutes, checking after 10 to make sure nothing is burning, toss again, and testing for doneness with a fork. A fork should easily pierce both butternut squash and apples.

Once done, remove from oven and pour both pans into a blender. Blend until ingredients reach a smooth consistency. I use a Vitamix, and set it to the soup preset, but any blender will do.

Once pureed , pour into serving bowls and top with your choice of bacon, scallions, and, or sour cream.