Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Bacon

This curried butternut squash soup with bacon has a creamy consistency but is completely dairy-free except for the optional garnish of sour cream. Roasting the squash adds an extra depth of flavor.

• Preparation Time: 40 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins
• Calories: 219 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 6 stalks celery, chopped
• 6 carrots, chopped
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 (3 pound) butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 8 strips bacon, chopped
• 1 Granny Smith apple - peeled, cored, and cubed
• 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1.5 cups sour cream
• 1.5 quarts chicken stock

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 2

Place squash in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil; mix to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread squash into a single layer on a baking pan.

Step 3

Roast squash in the preheated oven, turning once, until fork-tender and caramelized, 30 to 40 minutes.

Step 4

Place bacon in a Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon slices to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving drippings in the pot.

Step 5

Place onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf, curry powder, thyme, salt, and pepper in the Dutch oven; cook in reserved bacon drippings until carrots and celery are soft. Mix in apples and roasted squash; cook another 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook another minute.

Step 6

Pour apple cider over mixture; reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer, cooking until reduced by half. Stir in chicken stock; simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes.

Step 7

Stir nutmeg into soup. Garnish each bowl with 1 tablespoon sour cream and some bacon pieces to serve.

Step 8

Puree soup in small batches in a blender, or use an immersion blender. If using a blender, don't fill the blender more than halfway. Always remove the center lid piece of a stand blender when blending hot liquids so steam can escape; cover the hole with a dish towel while blending.