Creamy Butternut Squash Soup With Apples And Bacon Recipes

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH APPLES AND BACON

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 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. Roast the squash in the preheated oven, turning once, until fork-tender and caramelized; 30 to 40 minutes.
• Place the bacon in a Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon slices to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the drippings in the pan.
• Place the onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf, curry powder, thyme, and salt and pepper in the Dutch oven; cook in reserved bacon drippings until the carrots and celery are soft. Mix in the apples and cooked squash and cook another 5 minutes. Stir the garlic into the mixture and cook another 1 minute. Pour the apple cider over the mixture; reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer; allow to reduce to about half its original volume. Stir in the chicken stock; simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes.
• Puree the soup in small batches in a blender, or use an immersion blender. If using a blender, don't fill the blender more than half-way. Always remove the center lid piece of a stand blender when blending hot liquids so the steam can escape. Cover the hole with a dish towel while blending. Stir the nutmeg into the soup. Garnish each bowl with 1 tablespoon of sour cream and some of the bacon pieces to serve.

CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH APPLES AND BACON

Steps:

• Cook bacon in large soup pot until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside to drain. Discard bacon grease, reserving 2 tablespoons in the pot. (Crumble bacon when cool.).
• Add onions and carrots to soup pot. Saute for approximately five minutes over medium heat until onions are soft. Add celery and apple and saute for another five minutes. Add garlic and saute very briefly, approximately one minute.
• Add squash and chicken broth. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat again and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes until carrots are tender.
• If you have an immersion blender, process the mixture in the pot until smooth. If not, CAREFULLY process the mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return mixture to pot.
• Stir in lime juice. Add all remaining ingredients (except garnish) and 2 pieces of reserved crumbled bacon. Simmer for an additional ten minutes until thickened. (Be sure not to boil again as the cream will not be so lovely.).
• Garnish with remaining bacon, sour cream, and red pepper.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH APPLE AND BACON

Steps:

• In a 5 qt or larger stockpot set over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden, 8-10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Increase the heat to medium high. Add the squash to the pot with the bacon fat and cook until lightly browned, 4-6 minutes (resist the urge to stir too often or it won't brown).
• Stir in the apple, sage, salt and pepper and cook for about 4 minutes (you'll see more browning occur on the bottom of the pot than on the vegetables).
• Add the broth, scraping up any browned bits in the pot with a wooden spoon.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the squash and apples are very soft, 6-8 minutes.
• Remove from heat & let cool somewhat.
• Add about half the bacon to the soup and puree, using a stand or immersion blender (you'll need to work in batches if using a stand blender).
• Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
• Reheat the soup and garnish each serving with the remaining bacon.