Butternut Squash Soup Shots With Candied Bacon Recipes

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP SHOTS WITH CANDIED BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and place cut side down on baking dish; add 1/2 inch of water and bake until fork tender, about 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, trim leeks, slit lengthwise and wash thoroughly.
• Rough chop the white and light green parts (save tough green tops for making stock).
• In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium low heat.
• Saute leeks for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, then add curry powder.
• Scoop out squash flesh and add to pot; pour in chicken broth, ginger, maple syrup, and salt.
• Simmer 30 minutes.
• Puree the soup using an immersion blender, or a regular blender or food processor in batches.
• While soup is simmering, you can prepare the bacon.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a heavy skillet, over medium heat, cook bacon, in batches, until lightly browned, but not crisp; drain on paper toweling.
• Meanwhile, combine brown sugar, cayenne, and black pepper.
• Arrange bacon strips on a parchment or brown paper lined baking tray and coat with brown sugar mixture.
• Bake until sugar is caramelized and bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes; transfer to brown paper to cool (will stick to paper towels).
• Reheat soup, if necessary, and serve in shot glasses with 1/2 slice of bacon standing up in it - or serve in bowls as a soup course with crumbled bacon.

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.

BUTTERNUT AND ACORN SQUASH SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the squash halves cut side down in a baking dish. Bake 45 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. Scoop the pulp from the skins. Discard skins.
• Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion until tender.
• In a blender or food processor, blend the squash pulp, onion, broth, brown sugar, cream cheese, pepper, and cinnamon until smooth. This may be done in several batches.
• Transfer the soup to a pot over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Garnish with parsley, and serve warm.