Recipe: Butternut Squash Soup

With Turkey Day looming, and many of you quite likely procrastinators -- hey, it takes one to know one -- I thought I'd share a simple soup that's perfect for the holiday or just this time of year. I served it myself to a dinner party of six last Saturday night and it drew rave reviews. I suspect that's partially because it tastes like it has a whole vat of cream dumped in (though it has nary a drop!) and partially because of the bacon garnish. We all agreed: everything's better with bacon! (Isn't it time the Pork Information Bureau got a new slogan?)


Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 8

This is one of my favorites from Gourmet's mighty cooking tome. The garnish is my own and if you can buy slab, or thick-cut bacon, do so:  you can make authentic lardons. If not, then just make do like I did with good quality bacon.

2 TBSP olive oil
1 celery rib, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1/2 lb. boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (look for it already prepped)
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)
2 tsp. coarse sea salt
3/12 cups boiling water
garnish: 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch chunks; 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned (10-12 minutes). Add the potatoes, squash and red pepper to the onion mixture, then stir in boiling water. Simmer covered until the veggies are very tender (20 minutes). Purée in batches in a blender or with an immersion blender. To prepare the garnish: Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium, turning once (10-12 minutes or to desired crispness). Spoon bacon into soup bowls, cover with soup and garnish with fresh thyme.

Comments

[Nerissa]

I suppose this will work with acorn squash too? That's about the gamut of winter squash we get up here. Not that I'm in stressed out turkey mode right now. Canadians have their Thanksgiving a month earlier than yours. So for me it's a "been there, done that" feeling.

I wish you the best of holidays though. I spent my Thanksgiving with friends only and --don't tell my family this -- I had the best Thanksgiving ever with them. ;-)

[Catherine]

Nerissa -- yes, I think any kind of nice creamy wintery squash would work well, esp. acorn. (And your secret's safe with me!)

[Beth]

Yum! Your bacon slogan reminds me of something my sister says. Our hairdresser's maiden name was Bacon but she changed it when she got married. But my sister always says that if her last name was Bacon, she would keep it if she got married and also she'd change her first name to Bacon and then she'd be called Bacon Bacon. :)

[Catherine]

Beth -- okay, this is totally unrelated except for the rhyme. In college, one of my first year roommate's was named Macon. And she always said she'd never date anyone whose last name was Bacon, Out or Love -- well, you can see what life would be like if they fell in love and got married.

[Mina]

My boyfriend and his family are vegetarians. We have all decided that bacon is a root vegetable. Yum!

[Catherine]

Ohmygod, Mina, you are too funny! I think I would LOVE his family!

[simplylisa]

I made this soup tonight to accompany simple broiled tilapia fillets and grilled asparagas. The soup was absolutely delicious. The bacon made the soup scrumptuous. I added a medium onion, though the onion wasn't listed as an ingredient. :) I hope you don't mind, but I've made this a favorite in my own recipe database. Thanks Catherine!!!