Butternut Squash Soup With Apple And Bacon

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 8 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
• 2 1/2 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes to yield about 6 cups (about 1 medium squash)
• 1 small granny smith apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes to yield about 1 cup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth

Recipe

• 1 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.
• 2 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).
• 3 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).
• 4 add the broth, scraping up any browned bits in the pot with a wooden spoon.
• 5 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.
• 6 remove from heat & let cool somewhat.
• 7 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).
• 8 taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
• 9 reheat the soup and garnish each serving with the remaining bacon.