Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Bisque with Smoked Applewood Bacon Recipe

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon

Ingredients

• 1 (2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 8 slices applewood-smoked bacon
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• cup white wine
• 1 quarts chicken stock
• 1 cups half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375F (190C). In a large mixing bowl, combine the cubed butternut squash, sweet potatoes, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet in a single layer.

Step 2: Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven for about 60 minutes. Flip them halfway through the cooking time to ensure they caramelize and become tender.

Step 3: While the vegetables are roasting, place the bacon slices in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, turning occasionally, until crispy, around 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the bacon from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings for later use. Crumble the bacon into small pieces and set aside.

Step 4: In a Dutch oven, heat the reserved bacon drippings and butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, sauting for 7 to 10 minutes until the onion becomes translucent and soft.

Step 5: Pour the white wine into the Dutch oven, bringing it to a boil. As the wine heats, use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce by half, which will take about 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 6: Add the roasted squash and sweet potato mixture to the Dutch oven. Stir in the chicken stock, then bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, or until all the vegetables are fully tender.

Step 7: Carefully transfer the soup mixture into a blender, filling the blender no more than halfway. Cover and pulse a few times before blending until smooth. Repeat in batches until all the soup has been pureed.

Step 8: Return the pureed soup to the Dutch oven. Stir in the half-and-half, cooking over medium-low heat until the soup is warmed through, about 5 minutes.

Step 9: Stir in the ground nutmeg and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 10: Ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with the crumbled bacon. Serve warm and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)