Ingredients
• 1 whole butternut squash
• 2 whole carrots
• ½ lb bacon, cut into large pieces
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken stock
• Fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• Seasoning salt, to taste
Instructions
1. Roast the vegetables
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Cut the butternut squash in half and remove the seeds. Place the squash and whole carrots on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
Roast for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and nicely caramelized.
2. Start the soup
While the vegetables roast, heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the bacon and cook until it begins to render and brown.
Add the chopped onions, celery, and garlic. Cook until the vegetables soften and become fragrant, letting them sweat in the bacon fat.
3. Add the roasted vegetables
Once the squash and carrots are finished roasting, add them to the pot.
4. Add the herbs & stock
Tie the fresh thyme and bay leaf together with cooking string to create a small bouquet garni.
Add it to the pot along with 6 cups of chicken stock.
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour.
5. Blend
Remove the bouquet garni.
Blend the soup until completely smooth. Season with sal and pepper to taste.
For an extra-silky soup
For a restaurant-quality texture, strain the blended soup through a fine-mesh sieve before serving.
Optional: Finish with crispy bacon, a drizzle of olive oil, fresh thyme, or a little crème fraiche