Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Soup
This is by far the best butternut squash soup ever, with the help of those crisp bacon bits blended right into the soup!
I hope it’s not too late to still enjoy a piping hot bowl of the coziest butternut squash soup ever.
Now I’ve made and tried quit a bit of butternut squash soups in the day but I could honestly say that nothing tops this one here. Seriously.
The secret is simple but very crucial to make this soup what it is is. It’s the process of roasting the butternut squash with bacon, and then blending them right up. That way, you have that smoky bacon goodness built right into the soup.
And the garnishes – the creamy notes of goat cheese and that extra crisp bacon right on top. Yes, you certainly can’t forget about those!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Soup
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, about 3 pounds, peeled, seeded and cut in 1-inch chunks
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the soup
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 ½ cups chicken stock, or more, to taste
- ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
- Place butternut squash, onion, bell pepper and bacon in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Add olive oil and garlic; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Gently toss to combine.
- Place into oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until butternut squash is tender, stirring at halftime.*
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add butternut squash mixture and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in chicken stock and puree with an immersion blender.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5-10 minutes. If the soup is too thick, add more chicken stock as needed until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve immediately, garnished with bacon, goat cheese and chives, if desired.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Sorry, meant to give it 5 stars!
The Official Home Food Taster, aka my husband, said this was delicious! I am not usually a soup enthusiast, but this soup has changed that! I got to use my immersion blender for the first time – make sure you put the soup in a tall stock pot as there is a lot of cast-off from the blender which otherwise will fly all over your kitchen LOL! Also, my double-bottomed Food Network baking sheet worked perfectly roasting the veggies and bacon, while a regular one burned them (I needed 2 of them). So I would recommend either reducing the baking time and/or put a baking sheet on top of another if you only have regular ones. Thanks for this outstanding recipe!
This was so yummy! I feel like this would be GREAT with mushrooms in it as well.
Just bought an immersion blender and this was my first dish using it. The butternut soup was fabulous. The toppings finished it off perfectly. Will make it again!!!!!
Great dish !! Added red pepper flakes as well! Love all these recipes!!
This is an amazing butternut soup! The bacon definitely gives it a richer taste. This will be a new staple meal.
Perfect every time! Yuuuummmmm!!!
I plan to make this tomorrow – it sounds delicious, particularly with the addition of red bell peppers, I haven’t seen this in other recipes. However, I have seen the addition of 2 potatoes. Would this addition be okay with this recipe, or would it completely change the flavor? Many thanks!
yummmm I am in love with this soup. I also love to just roast the bacon and veggies without making it into soup.
Oh my stars and garters, this soup is delicious!
I have never made, or had, butternut squash soup. This soup is so good I will make it for a dinner party!
Great directions too!
Question: Can I use pancetta instead of bacon? For both the blending into and garnish?
All I can say is this soup is a must! It is absolutely amazing in every way, the bacon is truly the star! This is a soup I will continue to make for many years to come. I did add some dried rosemary in with the time and I also added probably about 4 cups of chicken/vegetable broth.
one of my favorite soups of all time! Sometimes I add more vegetable broth as it gets too thick. The hardest, well, the only difficult part of this recipe is cutting the squash. I use a knife and a peeler and a lot of effort. I always end up bruising my knuckles.
The only thing I do differently with this recipe is I add rosemary to the thyme. I only garnish with goat cheese as well. The goat cheese is a MUST. Not optional. You only need a wee little bit.
This recipe is the only one that I can make exactly as written and be 100% pleased. Plus Rosemary of course.
I made this recipe. It is the best butternut soup recipe I have tasted.I added more chicken broth and a cup of 1/2 and 1/2 milk to it for creamier texture. Even my son that doesn’t like butternut squash loved it. I will be making again soon. Thank you.
I make this nearly every Thanksgiving as a starter/appetizer, everyone goes crazy for it!
Also wonderful as a light lunch with crusty bread.
It´s a Fantastic recipe.
Can I freeze the extra soup, without the garnish of course.
Please, would you tell me which ones I can freeze of the 10 recipes you posted?
Thank you
Best regards
Marcela rinaudo
From Bariloche, Patagonia, Argentina.
You can find me on Instagram
abutatamarcerinaudo
The best butternut squash EVER!!!! So easy definitely will make again!!!
This recipe is absolutely delish! I did end up adding a little more chicken broth to have more of a soup like consistency. Plus doubled the garlic. I also sautéed mushrooms with the extra bacon for added texture because I knew my hubby wouldn’t eat it otherwise. It’s a little sweet but my gosh it’s good! My husband added a little cayenne powder to his to spice it up. yum! Definitely adding this to our dinner menu again!
First time making this. I subbed carrot for red pepper. It tasted good, albeit a bit sweet for me, even with a bit of nutmeg in there. Main issue for me was texture. Even with doubling practically doubling amount of chicken stock it was far too thick – the consistency of baby food. I would probably use far less squash and more chicken stock next time.
Even my husband, who claims he doesn’t like squash, had seconds.
I made this and it was amazingly delicious! The best butternut squash soup I have ever had by far!! Perfection, especially with the garnishes.
I add carrot and celery. Trying Grape seed oil this time. Twice the onion and twice the garlic. No bell pepper, wife doesn’t like it.
This is my absolute favorite soup. I make it so often, I felt I had to leave a review. I like to chop up a jalapeño to give it some extra kick! Just roast it along with the other veggies and bacon. I sometimes add a half cup of cream at the end if I have some, but it’s not truly needed. Love ALL the damn delicious recipes!
It’s my favorite comfort soup, the only thing I do different is make the bacon separate.
My wife’s favorite soup, and I always end up using double the amount of chicken stock and add about a half of cup of heavy cream to get the best consistency.
Absolutely delicious soup. This really is the best butternut squash soup recipe I’ve tried. Sweet, salty, comforting! The red pepper really adds to the flavour and a deeper colour, love it!
Delicious soup. The bacon makes it.
Tip: My toddler dumped in some cinnamon when I was almost done with the soup, and it actually ended up being a pretty good addition.
Hi there – we have a giant tub of red lentils. I’m wondering if we can add some to this recipe? If yes, how much do you think? THANKS!
Look like a great recipe, can’t wait to try this weekend!
One question – is it a total of 8 piece of bacon, 4 for the roasting and soup mixture and then 4 more cooked and diced and sprinkled on top? Or is it the same 4 pieces taken from the oven after roasting and then cooked, diced and sprinkled. Believe me, I’m all about more bacon but want to get it right on my first try.
Thanks in advance!
I had the same question!
It is 4 slices of bacon for the soup and 4 addition slices for the garnish
Have made this recipe 3x in the past 3 weeks! Everyone LOVES it. From my parents, to my 5 year old and 1 year old nieces. The goat cheese is amazing with it, it’s so savory and satisfying. It also couldn’t be any easier to make! Thank you for such an incredibly easy and delicious recipe, this is a staple in our house now!
I made this recipe tonight and it was a hit! The flavors are so rich and the consistency was perfect for a cold night like tonight. Thank you so much! I will definitely make this again… and again!
Making it as I type…but no goat cheese! How would cream cheese do? Don’t want to open a can of coconut milk…have whole cream????
Awesome. Didn’t have goat cheese on hand so just used crumbled bacon. Will definitely use goat cheese next time and might try fresh rosemary instead of thyme. Cant wait to make for my party next week. Yum, yum.
My sister sent me this. Amazing! The goat cheese really makes a difference, but the soup is delicious even without any garnish! Thank you for a new staple in my house.
Made this on the weekend and omg it’s delicious (damn delicious ). I forgot I was supposed to put the raw bacon slices on the squash to roast together so I just blended in some of the cooked bacon and it’s still yummy! Thanks for sharing your recipes chungah!
I make this all the time, thank you. I had a few roasted pepitas in my pantry, and they make a good topping too!
Wonderful Recipe! It was a big hit with the family, and I will definitely be making it again soon!
Wow! This is amazing soup and so easy to make! Thank you for sharing!
I love this soup! I make it often in the fall and it was a special request at Thanksgiving last year!!
It’s the best! Happy to hear it made it on your Thanksgiving list!
I have been doing this soup now for 2 years and it’s the best squash soup ever. My two grandsons love this soup and I double the recipe so they can take to school for lunch. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us.
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing.
Just made this prepped ahead of using it for a starter at Christmas lunch tomorrow- damn it tastes good!! I’ve added a touch of maple syrup too which adds a lovely subtle sweet dimension to it. Thanks!
We have had this in our rotation for a few years now and our whole family of four loves it. My 12 year old even likes the goat cheese! A delicious, easy to make soup. My husband and I make this one together, so win-win!
Overall I like this recipe but felt that the thyme over powered the taste of the soup ( to my taste im Cuban from Miami and we’re used to more of the garlic chicken bouillon taste ) .. I used this recipe for a second time but tweeked it some and oh boy was it worth it.. I eliminated the thyme added 1/2 tsp of truffle oil substituted the goat cheese with feta and topped it with bacon chives and crispy fried onions …. to my taste it was phenomenal
I added extra maple bacon & bacon fat – don’t purée – and used it as a side dish. I thought the soup was amazing but It’s even better as a side!
That sounds so yummy! More bacon is always a good idea! Thanks for sharing with us.
Absolutely amazing!!! I didn’t have a red pepper so I substituted with a carrot. Our family also doesn’t like blue cheese so I used feta. Instead of real bacon I used turkey bacon and I was soooooo good! Thanks for this very yummy recipe.
Did anyone actually make this soup?
My husband has been begging me for years to make butternut soup and I’m just not a huge fan. Made this tonight to appease him and it was delicious! He said you don’t even need the toppings!
Side note I roasted the garlic in their skins
Sounds amazing!
Yup! Damn delicious!!
I followed the instructions pretty closely.
I didn’t have a red pepper so it didn’t happen.
Thanks for the recipe!
A new go to!
Kw
I made this soup last night. I added cinnamon and nutmeg along with the other ingredients in the recipe. It was delicious. I was so happy to see that there was some leftover for lunch the next day. I will definitely make this again.
Drizzled balsamic glaze over top and use cojita cheese and it was AMAZING!!! New fav recipe. Everything’s better with bacon. And balsamic!
Everything sure is better with bacon! 🙂
I LOVE this soup! I’ve made it twice now. I follow the recipe except skip the goat cheese garnish. This is my new favorite soup!
Ignore my last comment, I see now there are two portions of bacon!! 🙂 making this tonight, can’t wait!!
Wait do you cook the bacon in the oven with the squash, or in a skillet? Once it’s done in the oven do you pick it out of the mixture and cook it again in the skillet? Really looking forward to making this, but confused by that step. Thanks!
I needed two full sheet pans to put the 3 lbs of squash, the onion, the pepper, and the bacon in a single layer. The squash alone filled one pan completely! Anyone else had to do this? Or have I made a grave error?? Both pans are in the oven now
Have you ever tried this without the goat cheese? Any suggestions/alternatives for us dairy free/whole30 folks?
You can omit the goat cheese if you prefer. 🙂
Excellent recipe. I added s little but of butter, and a spoonful of bacon grease for good measure.
Made this tonight and it was a hit!! Have 5 butternut squash from our garden, and I’ll definitely be making this again!
Awesome!
Soup was absolutely delicious!!
I made this on a whim today for lunch… it is absolutely delicious! I left out the red bell pepper because I didn’t have one. And used maple bacon because, well, that’s all I had. I highly recommend this soup… especially with maple bacon. It gives it a little something extra!
Happy you enjoyed it!
Made this soup last night and I absolutely love it. I’m eating it for lunch today and it’s even better the next day. I added a little bit of heavy cream and used parmesan instead of goat cheese and I must say, it’s absolutely delicious!
Great modifications! Happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Can I use frozen squash pre cut thaw and then roast at all?
Yes, of course, but I find that fresh squash is truly best!
By far the BEST butternut squash soup I’ve ever had! I roasted a couple carrots and a sweet potato with it. Truly delicious! Thank you so much for sharing. I’ve loved every recipe I’ve ever tried from your site.
It’s such a good one. We’re happy you enjoyed it!
It is just Damn Delicious!
I’ve had Weight loss surgery and am always looking for low carb dinner ideas, Made this one for dinner tonight and it was delicious everybody loved it even the picky eaters, definitely want to make again
That’s awesome!
Made this last Sunday and I absolutely loved it! Definitely will become a new staple at our house. I added just a little bit of milk at the end to thin it out slightly. Sharing your link on my “Friday Favorites” blog post this week!
http://www.peonypincher.com
Thank you Krista! We appreciate the share!!
I made this tonight, after reading the comments on here, I added an apple and one chopped, seeded jalapeño to the roasting veggies, along with a dash of cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric, then blended. This soup is so filling, new favorite!
The jalapeño added just the right amount of heat to the soup, and I would encourage anyone to try it !
This is the best soup ever! I made it whole30 and my husband and I loved it. Thanks for the recipe!!
Hi, I’m making this now and your directions are confusing.
Under ingredients, it should read “8 slices of bacon – 4 roasted with the butternut squash and 4 for garnish” – I wasn’t sure if I was putting raw bacon in the oven with the squash.
Then you say put all the ingredients on the pan evenly, but add the garlic and olive oil to toss. This should be done before the veggies go on the cooking sheet, right?
It probably would be better to list all the ingredients, including the seasonings, and then break it down into 3 sections: Ingredients, For the Soup, and Toppings
Hope this helps!
Yes, you are putting raw bacon in the oven with the squash – why dirty another pan? The addition of olive oil and garlic should not be done before the veggies go on the baking sheet. You want to coat the vegetables with olive oil. Does that make sense?
I just made this for first time. Felt it needed a little “something” flavor-wise when done, so added the following:
1 T butter
2 T half & half
1/4 tsp ginger
1 & 1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp ground cloves
*all above were approximate
These additions made it so much more flavorful. SO yummy!
I made this about a month ago and it was absolutely delicious but I had some issues with the texture. I think it was just because my immersion blender wasn’t strong enough so I’m going to try it again with my blender. I also wanted to ask about the 3lb squash vs 3lb of cut up squash because I’m still confused by it. If I were to go to the store and purchase 3lbs of squash already prepared would I use the whole amount? Obviously the more squash I use the thicker it will be. When you make this soup yourself, is it a fairly thick soup as well?
The recipe calls for 3 lb of butternut squash. If you purchase 3 lb precut squash, you may want to use less. You can also make the soup as thick or as thin as you prefer – it all depends on personal preference.
Would I be able to make this then transfer to a crockpot to keep warm for an hour or so before serving?
Yes, you should be able to. But as always, please use your best judgement when making modifications.
Why did I wait so long to try this I don’t know. Flavor is amazing. Your recipe is spot on!!
YUM! This soup looks so good – comforting and delicious ♥
Sounds so delicious! Do you think I could use frozen butternut squash?
I recommend using fresh!
Another delicious recipe! I made this tonight and will be making it again and again. Thanks for always being my go-to when I want to try something new.
Tried this recipe this weekend for a cold and rainy footbal sunday! It was SOO easy and such a hit! I ended up need two sheet pans for the roasting part in the beginning but that could just be from overestimating all of my ingredients. I also let the squash/pepper/onion/ bacon mixture steep in the chicken broth for about 20 minutes post-removing from the oven and pre-blending. I added about a 1/4 cup of cream to the mix while blending with my immersion blender. The other minor tweaks I made were all in relation to added spice (nutmeg) and things along those lines! All in all this was such a great recipe! I have been really relying on your recipes lately because you just cannot go wrong with whatever dish you pick to make!
is there a good substitute for red pepper? i completely blanked in picking one up and I’m ready to make it tonight!
You can omit if you need to!
I made this the other day on a whim because it was a cold and rainy night. It was absolutely delicious!! My boyfriend helped himself to 3 bowls, and I had a big old bowl for myself. I made it exactly as the directions called for, even down to the toppings you used. It was perfect! ate it for lunch the next day and it was still amazing! Thank you! this is going to be a new staple in my house!
It’s Thanksgiving here in Canada and I just made this soup as a starter. Delicious! I think my onion bits didn’t cook all the way when roasting so it left the soup with a strong aftertaste. To tone it down I added pure maple syrup. Did the trick. Next time I’ll dice them smaller. And there will be a next time! Thanks for another great recipe.
This soup is “Damn Delicious”! My husband was hesitant initially, but has requested I make it again.
Wow! I just made this for the first time and my whole family couldn’t stop going for seconds. Perfect comfort food for autumn.
About how many people do you think this recipe would serve? I’m excited to make it for my moms luncheon.
This yields about 4-6 servings.
Hi Chungah, Do you use an app to calculate the nutrition facts that you post? I am needing to stay low on salt and I have used myfitnesspal.com but wondered if you had something better to recommend. Thanks, Kit
Hi Kit, we have our nutritionist, Pam Gibson, who calculates the nutrition facts and advises on the recipes. But I’m sure myfitnesspal works great unless you want to hire a nutritionist yourself! Pam’s bio can also be viewed on the website under “Our Team”.
Such a great recipe and thanks for putting the pictures into your emails! I appreciate that!
So recipe calls for a total of 8 slices of bacon? 4 to be roasted and blended into soup and 4 cooked on stove top for garnish?
Yes!
I just made this soup and WOW I LOVE it. I used feta cheese. I’ve never roasted vegetables before and I could’ve eaten them right out of the oven.
This soup is amazing!
I use feta in place of goat cheese and Hot Portuguese Linguesa in place of bacon.
Devine! My whole family loves it.
The smoky linguesa paired with the sharpness of feta and the sweetness of the butternut makes this soup worthy of becoming a household favorite.
Amazing!! I didn’t have chicken stock so just used water and instead of olive oil used bacon grease leftover from morning’s bacon. OMG!! It carmelized so beautifully that I almost just at the veggies alone. Soooo delicious!!!
This recipe was amazing! I must admit I am not really a fan of butternut squash soup, but this recipe was absolutely delicious!
Made this tonight and hubby gave it 5 out of 5 stars (which is high praise, especially for soup!). Our 4-year-old and I both loved it too. My only change was to only purée half for a chunkier soup. Hearty, flavorful, so good – will definitely be making again – thanks!
I have made this recipe a few times, and I can say that it is definitely a favourite. The only thing I omitted was the peppers due to an allergy, which I think kept the flavours very earthy and hearty, and I used a whole box of chicken stock for a double batch to keep it loose, but flavourful. However, the chives as garnish help perk it up and keep it tasting perfectly fresh The bacon adds a rich smokiness (the more the better), and the goat cheese melts so decadently, which adds another dimension of delicate flavour. Additionally, the thyme is just the perfect pairing with the sweet butternut. A really lovely recipe.
Just made butternut squash soup for the first time with this recipe = AWESOME!!!! Thank you!!!!
I’m thinking of making this as a roast instead of a soup — basically season everything (including all the bacon, diced) before putting it in the oven, sprinkle goat cheese and chives/scallions on it when it’s done, and voila! No stock or blending or stove cooking (I’m lazy!). Has anyone tried this? Do you think it would be good?
Sounds amazing!
Update: I tried it. It WAS amazing!!!! I completely left out the oil because the bacon grease fell onto the veggies while baking, and I sprinkled with feta. Oh my freaking god it’s so good! 😀
I love this! just made it but I roasted fresh thyme with the veggies and added paprika and crushed red pepper to the final step after immersion! we like a little warmth! thanks for the pin! Delish for sure!
I made this soup today minus the goat cheese and it was delicious. The family loved it also. I used a full 4 cups of chicken broth because it was so thick. Also subbed red pepper with a yellow one cause that’s what I had on hand. I’ll be making this again, only I’ll find already peeled and cut butternut squash.
Do you just roast the diced bacon with the butternut squash, then pick all of the bacon out to fry it in the pan after? Or do you use an additional four slices of diced bacon and fry it in the pan just for the garnish on top?
The additional four slices of bacon in step #4 are used as a garnish.
Great recipe! Delicious! I will use a smaller onion next time. It sort of overpowered all these wonderful flavors. Goat cheese wad a nice touch.
Thanks so much for this recipe! I made this last night and could not believe how delicious! I really wasn’t sure the goat cheese would go with the soup but it really does. I roasted about half a cup of canellini beans along with the other veggies just because I had them on hand and they’re great in there – probably add a bit of richness to the soup. I also added some red pepper flakes as the soup was finishing up simmering. Absolutely delicious, and absolutely perfect for a rainy first-week-of-fall in Boston! Thanks again!
This looks delicious! Was wondering if this soup would freeze well? I was thinking of bringing to a friend with new baby.
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I freeze this soup ALL THE TIME. My cousin brought it to a family thing in October and I’ve made it at least 6 times since then. I freeze them in single-serve ziplock freezer bags (after the soup is cooled). You can then freeze them flat and stacked on top of each other. Just let it thaw a bit before you put it in a pan to reheat. It’s easier to come out of the freezer bags if it’s just barely thawed and you can break it into a few mostly-frozen chunks. 🙂 One caveat…I don’t use the goat cheese (I eat paleo) so I’m not sure how it would freeze with the cheese.
This was honestly the most delicious soup I have ever made! I did a double batch instead of a single one and I still don’t have enough! A few tweaks I made because of personal preference: I omitted the thyme, seasoned the veggies/bacon with onion powder and garlic powder and used a food processor instead of the immersion blender and sour cream instead of goat cheese. Thank you so much for this recipe!
I made this and must say it was delicious! I also videotaped myself preparing it and hope some of you get some help from it….https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf2Ta2gy3J4 .
So the isnructions say to lay the bacon out on the baking sheet with the squash etc, but then two steps later it says to cook that bacon in a skillet. Do you cook the bacon twice?
Sarah, the recipe lists 4 slices bacon for the soup, which is roasted with the butternut squash, and an additional 4 slices bacon for the topping, which is cooked in a skillet.
I used this recipe as a base tonight. Instead of bacon, I used smoked turkey sausage (browned in the skillet), added mushrooms and one cup of cooked wild rice. It was so delicious. I’m sure it’s great with the bacon, but my husband would certainly complain that it’s not hearty enough (men!). Love your recipes!
This soup is absolutely the best butternut squash soup EVER! Made it for the second time a couple of nights ago, and three adults and a toddler were ‘mmmmming’ through every bite! I omitted the vegetable roasting by accident while rushing to get the squash in the oven during a few free minutes while my 3-month-old granddaughter was content on her own. It was nevertheless absolutely delicious, and is now one of our top 5 soups! Thank you!!!
Gul Dang! It’s soo so good. Thank you!
Made this tonight and it was amazing. Added a side of brie, carmelized onion and bacon panini and together it was tasty!
This soup is amazing!!!!!!! My husband is not a big fan of soups but he loved it!!! We also made it for our guests whom we invited at our house during Christmas holidays and I got a 10 points for it!!!! 🙂 Thanks a lot!!!!
Do I need a 3 lb butternut squash or 3 lbs of the cut up chunks?
The recipe calls for one 3-pound butternut squash to be peeled, seeded and then cut into 1-inch chunks.
I used 3 lbs of already-cut-up squash chunks. The soup came out very well, but it needed a total of 4 cups chicken broth because the squash soup was too thick to puree well. Delicious, too.
I have made this twice. My 1 year old son is obsessed, as am I. I actually didn’t have the goat cheese or the chives either time. This soup is amazing and tasty on its own. Thank you SO much for sharing. Delicious!
I made this for the first time a week before Thanksgiving. My husband insisted that we make it again for Thanksgiving! THEN we decided to have it every holiday! and have since dubbed it holiday soup. I am making our Christmas batch of holiday soup right now. Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe ^_^
I made this soup exactly according to your recipe. This is by far the best butternut squash soup i have ever tried.!!!
better than a restaurant style ! i will be making this again and again!
Just made this. Came out delicious. I don’t tend to like thyme, so I went with a tiny bit of cilantro, oregano and parsley instead. Loved it. The goat cheese made it extra awesome. Am thinking of experimenting with pumpkin and with sweet potatoes in the future so I can have a whole repertoire of variations. Your recipes never disappoint! It came out delicious and the instructions are always spot on, making the process seamless and pointless!
Oops, not “pointless” … “painless!” 🙂
I want to make this for Christmas Eve lunch, but want to do most of the cooking for the day ahead of time. How well do you think the prepared soup will freeze (for 2 days)?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Possible to ‘convert’ this into a slow cooker version? Love the idea, suppose could do the ‘roasting part’ in the slow cooker and go from there after it softens?
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional stovetop recipe to be used in a slow cooker without further recipe testing. However, here is an article worth checking out on a possible conversion guide. Hope that helps!
Can you reheat this?
Yes, absolutely.
I made this today! Absolutely delicious! I omitted the red bell pepper as I didn’t have any. I browned up some ground sausage and added to the soup. My husband loved it!
I thought of doing this as well, adding sausage. Wonder if it would overwhelm the squash flavor though?
I actually think it’s a great idea but it may be best to use “mild” flavored sausage.
I have made this soup several times and it is always a hit! I decided to comment this time (veggies roasting now) to add a quick tip:
I clean the seeds from the squash and boil them in salted water for a few minutes, drain, dry and then roast on parchment with a drizzle of olive oil/ salt/pepper/garlic powder/ a sprinkle of curry and a dash on cayenne until they “pop”. I serve them on top of the soup with goat cheese and chives (Sans the extra bacon…I know I know) . It just feels “right”.
I also remove the red pepper pieces before blending (personal preference.)
Thanks for the amazing recipe!
can u prepares oup day before and reheat and cook bacon for top day of serving?
Yes, absolutely.
Does goat cheese have to be used? I don’t know where to buy.
Feta would be a great substitute!
What if you don’t like goat or feta? Just omit the cheese altogether? I would be ok with that…just asking! 🙂
Yes, please feel free to omit as needed.
I do not have an immersion blender, and alternate options?
A blender should work just fine.
This was the BEST soup I’ve ever had! Mixed in goat cheese when I served. Sooooo delicious! I’m making again this week!
So very yummy. I baked mine about 10 minutes longer and needed to add about 4-5 cups of stock(I must of had a bigger butternut squash) I will make this again and am happy how healthy this is. I did not add cheese but the family did all different kinds as they all love different cheese. Thank you for sharing a soup good anytime of year
Made the soup and loved it. The only minor change I made was to use Pumpkin Goat cheese that accentuated this lovely Fall soup.
I made this tonight, following the recipe exactly, but was underwhelmed. The red pepper overpowered everything else. I like the roasted vegetables and absence of cream, but would make some substantial changes if I ever made it again.
Sarah, perhaps the red pepper used was an abnormally large one? The red pepper taste should not be very strong.
Made this for dinner tonight — yummy! I made my own chicken broth and I roasted a sad sweet potato and a few baby carrots along with the bacon and butternut squash and bell pepper. Hubby loves it! Great for a dreary day!
I made this soup this morning with kabocha squash. I used coconut oil instead of olive oil which isn’t supposed to be heated due to the low smoking point. I also added more garlic (Hey, I’m Italian!!), some marjoram leaves, a pinch of cumin, a dash of cardamom and a touch of cinnamon. I also added about a tablespoon of brown sugar, 1/3 cup of heavy cream and about a tablespoon of Better Than Boullion Chicken Base because it adds a rich flavor that makes everything more savory and delicious! Sorry I’m embellished upon your recipe, and yet I have to say, it was just what I was craving. Magnificent!
Do I need to cook the bacon first that is going in the oven with the squash or is the purpose for it to cook along with the squash?
Nichole, the bacon is used twice here – (#1) 4 slices of bacon are used as an optional garnish and (#2) another 4 slices are roasted with the butternut squash. The latter is eventually pureed with an immersion blender.
Hi there…Recipe looks great but Im a little confused. Do you roast the bacon and then pull it off the pan and finish it in the skillet?
Thanks!
Jeremy, the bacon is used twice here – (#1) 4 slices of bacon are used as an optional garnish and (#2) another 4 slices are roasted with the butternut squash. The latter is eventually pureed with an immersion blender. Does that make sense?
This looks really good. I’m planning on making it tonight but wondered if I can use my vitamix instead of an immersion blender for the last few steps ?
Yes, absolutely.
Butternut squash soup has always seemed too sweet to me and almost like dessert when apples or pears are added.
This version, as I suspected, was more savoury and absolutely delicious. How can it miss with bacon as an ingredient.
The 7 other guests at my table last night were in complete agreement. Every bowl was scraped clean.
It did not suffer at all from being made the day before.
Try it, you will like it.
My hubby dislikes peppers, can you tell it is in there? I love adding extras to pump up nutrition, but don’t want to cause discord. I didn’t see any comments that mentioned the pepper taste. Would it be better to sub it with something else?
Oh, this looks oh so good that I can hardly wait to pick up some goat cheese today!
The pepper taste is very mild, but you can always omit as needed to caution on the safe side.
I disagree. I found the pepper taste overwhelming. It was more like red pepper soup than butternut squash.
I found the pepper flavor very mild, serving the purpose of making the soup more complex. Try it and check for yourself.
Such an AMAZING soup! Made it last week and couldn’t resist to make it again today!
an ode to butternut squash
the saddest vegetable known to man
i tapped him and he was hollow
wuld he provide for my soup needs
on the indside he was yellow
i opened him and he cr
i
e
d little tears
he was my young grocery
going to sweeeet grocery heaven
i roasted him w. rosemary
and he screamed ‘weee
eee
eez’ in the oven
i love butternut squash soup this time of year
Sounds, and looks wonderful. Have butternut squash just waiting for this. Have to leave out the red peppers since they and my stomach aren’t friends anymore. Save the clean up of the large skillet by cooking the bacon that goes on top of the soup in the Dutch oven while the squash mixture is in the oven. Put bacon on paper towels and pour left over bacon fat into jar with lid. I use it in making cornbread.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing!!
This is by far the most AMAZING butternut squash soup ever. I made it last fall and winter multiple times because it just that good. Going home and making it tonight as well :).
Just in case anyone is interested, I also add carrots and sweet potato and roast with the other veggies.. because there are more veggies you will likely need to add more stock as well.
OMG so good, I am drooling just thinking about it. Can’t wait till I am done work to make this tonight 🙂
This UNBELIEVABLY good!! I used Better Than Bouillon to make the broth. Applewood Bacon gave an earthy quality. I’m not a goat cheese fan, but sharp worked wonders to give a small zing to the smooth rustic yumminess.
How well does this soup keep? Would I be able to make it ahead of time and reheat for the same effect?
Yes, absolutely.
Just loved this soup, did not use the goats cheese but it was fabulous
Just made this and it was great. My squash was a little bigger, so I used 5 cloves garlic, 1 tsp. thyme, and extra bacon. I also added a little heavy cream, too, and used feta instead of the goat cheese. Delicious!
This soup was so delicious! Thank you so much!
i like this because i have not any tooth hhhhhhhhhh
Absolutely delish! Next time I will buy already cut squash. It took me over an hour to cut that butternut. I was nervous about the goat cheese but it was the perfect compliment to the sweetness. I used high quality turkey bacon and this was a HIT!!!
Help! I must be losing my mind. It calls for four pieces of bacon but says it should be roasted with the squash and fried for the topping. How many slices for each step??
Mindy, the recipe lists 4 slices bacon for the topping and 4 slices bacon for the soup.
I just have to say I’ve never made squash soup before and I made this recipe today and it was amazing!!! I will never use another recipe again. The bacon was an awesome touch. I also added a little cayenne pepper to give it a kick. Thanks so much!!
This sounds amazing! A cafe I used to live by made something like this, but included diced apples in the soup too.
this recipe was amazing! it was posted on our Facebook page. Can’t wait to make it again! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cooking-Chicks/177365772461993
I’ve never left a recipe review – until now! I’m not sure what possessed me to make this as I had never eaten butternut squash, but I’m so glad I did. I’ve made it twice in the past few weeks. I am obsessed!
Omg. This was absolutely amazing!!!!! I omitted the goat cheese in this, but it was great! Will definetly make this again. Healthy AND good? I’ll take it! Thabks for the great recipe!
Wow! This sounds amazing! I also love that it doesn’t use heavy cream like some other recipes do. Pinning!
I made this tonight. I added half a cup of heavy whipping cream, and a teaspoon of nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. So Delicious! Thanks for sharing your amazing recipes I haven’t tried one yet and been disappointed!
My SIL gave us 4 huge butternuts months ago & I’ve been trying to find good, savory recipes for them since before Christmas. Your soup recipe looks like a winner & I can’t wait to try it. I may just use ALL of this squash after all!!!
This was amazing! I did sub turkey bacon and instead of a red bell pepper used a pear. Next time I think I’ll add one or two pears since it’s such a subtle flavor. Absolutely a recipe I’ll make again. Too easy and Damn Delicious! Thank you Ma’am for sharing.
I just made this for tonight’s dinner and it’s FABULOUS! The tastiest butternut squash soup recipe I have ever tasted. No doubt because = Bacon. 😉 The only thing I changed was to add one peeled, chopped apple to the roasting veggie mix.
I am loving your recipes! I made this the first time with maple flavored bacon. OMG. The DH and I enjoyed it so much, I made it again tonight! I can’t say I’m a fan of thyme, so I’ll leave it out next time. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
About how much is a serving?
I would estimate anywhere from 1-2 cups per serving.
This was just what the doctor ordered for my sick 4 year old. She gave it two thumbs up! Delicious!!! I’ll definitely be making this often!
I just made this soup last night for dinner. All I can say is Wow!!! This soup is absolutely delicious. Even my husband that doesn’t like squash loved it!! The bacon in this soup gives it so much flavor! Yum,Yum,Yum! It was my first time trying out one of your recipes and I found it easy to follow and I was pleasantly surprised and proud of how yummy it tasted! Thanks again I will be for sure trying other dishes! 🙂
This soup is delicious! I’ve made it twice now and it is going into my soup rotation. i especially love the roasted vegetables. Butternut squash has been one of my favorite vegetables for a while now and I’m always on the lookout for recipes to add to my collection.
My husband RARELY likes my cooking. He likes to cook gourmet and I’m a bit on the bland side. Bad I know lol! Well, I was SHOCKED when he called this dish “EXCEPTIONAL!” Thank you for passing it on!!
Amazing!! Made this tonight and the whole house loved it!!
I followed your instructions exactly and OH MY GOSH! So so good! I’ve never had butternut squash soup before but saw it on a TV show and looked for a recipe. Came across this one and I’m so glad I did! By far the easiest soup I’ve ever made! If I had bought precursor squash, my prep would uave been three minutes! What a great suggestion with the goat cheese. It made it so delicious. Thank you so much! Will be making again (and again…and again…)
Fantastic recipe! I omitted the goat cheese due to allergies, but it was still fantastic!
Can you freeze this recipe?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I freeze butternut squash soup all the time. Of course, its better fresh but it works. I haven’t frozen this recipe yet, I just made it for the first time and I can’t eat peppers and its still AMAZING!! such a good recipe.
This looks amazing! Can I make this in the crockpot?
Denean, please understand that it is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional stovetop recipe to the slow cooker method without further recipe testing. Please use your best judgement to convert this recipe to utilize a slow cooker.
Ok, thanks! I think I’ll just make it ahead of time and reheat as needed. I was looking for a crockpot soup to eat with sandwiches for a Sunday afternoon. It looks too delicious to pass up trying!
This soup looks awesome! I love all the colors and texture… I NEED to try this soon. Pinned!
I made this soup tonight after seeing it on multiple Pinterest boards, and OMG, is it TASTY! So sweet and creamy. Took a little longer to prep and cook that I had thought, but totally worth it. It is for sure going in our regular winter rotation, and I’m sure I’ll get it down to a science for timing.
Fantastic recipe, thank you! 🙂 I used cheap bacon and it was still delicious but felt it was slightly lacking in body even with additional salt/pepper. Next time will use higher quality bacon – I think it might add that extra bit of roundness I was hoping for. Thank you again for all of your recipes!
i am going to try this without the goat cheese and I will tell you all how it turns out! I figure it won’t be lacking in flavor since the butternut squash, bacon and chicken stock are flavorful enough to carry the soup! Crossing my fingers!
Just made this soup over the weekend and my family could not get enough of it! I LOVE this stuff, and i normally don’t like soup. amazing recipe! I wrote about it at my blog http://scantronsandscones.wordpress.com/2015/01/04/a-texture-thing-a-soup-recipe-and-other-traumatizing-childhood-stories/
thanks for posting great recipes!
just made this soup, on this chilly January day and it is super delish!
I made this tonight. It was amazing! But, then again, I have never made one of your dishes that wasn’t amazing! You are my “go to” lady.
Made this last night, only had vegetable stock but it was still amazing. My husband LOVED it.
Made this soup for New Years Eve and it was so simple to make but very delicious. I didn’t put the crumbled goat cheese though. Using the already packaged cube squash made it that much easier. Try this soup if you love, love, love butternut squash❤️
Did you remember how much pre bagged you used ?
Made this for Christmas dinner and it was a big hit. Did add a lot more stock because mine seemed a bit too thick but that just means more leftovers. Thanks!
Hi,
Do you blend the bacon in with the soup, along with topping it off with bacon?
Yes, that’s exactly right! The bacon topping is completely optional but I highly recommend it.
LOVED this soup! So flavorful. I did use my blender as my immersion blender didn’t get the texture as smooth as I like. Thanks! Looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow 🙂
I’ve always found butternut squash soup to be a little to bland and maybe too sweet. But the addition of bacon and goat cheese is perfect! That’s what it’s been missing all along 🙂
Oh my heavens. I have been craving butternut squash something for a while, and the goat cheese and bacon makes this absolutely perfect! I can’t wait to make this!
Love this bowl of butternut squash soup right up in my face this morning – YUM!!! I am thinking its gotta be good for breakfast too since it includes bacon… 😉
This is a seriously delicious looking roast squash soup.. but what I am really loving is that spoon!
I can’t get on board with the bacon but I can totally appreciate a really great recipe when I see one! I absolutely love how easy this recipe is to throw together with minimal ingredients!
Go away bacon racist!
To have the bacon roasted with the butternut squash is brilliant! Love the creamy goat cheese addition as well.
Just made this for lunch on a stormy, rainy day. I used organic Greek yogurt for the topping!!!!
Thank you for including a picture of the finished dish. Nice to have a visual of what it is supposed to look like.
It’s never too late for butternut squash soup…I actually haven’t made any this season yet, and it’s my favorite! Love the addition of the goat cheese, too…it’s one (of my many, yikes) weaknesses! 🙂
This looks deLISH, and sounds yummy! Can’t wait to try it. Thanks, much.
Bacon in squash soup…. palm to forehead “duh” moment. WHy didn’t I ever think of that?! This is amazing! Pinning 🙂 And that spoon is beyond cool… where did you get it?!
Thank you! I purchased it from etsy at Milk & Honey.
I can’t wait to try this version of butternut squash soup, but I will be omitting the goat cheese. I just don’t care for the gaminess of it. Do you have any suggestions for something else? Your thoughts on a Boursin type cheese for an accent?
Feta cheese would be a great substitute for the goat cheese.
I am a big cheese lover, however goat cheese is also one that I just don’t like. I top my soup with cream cheese , oh my so delicious!
Awesome idea! Any cows milk cheese would add great taste! That’s what I use
This looks and sounds so good! The red pepper sounds like a great addition to give the soup a bit more of an edge, and the topping is beautiful 😀 Such a comforting meal! x
Roasting that butternut squash along with the bacon makes this soup the coziest indeed! I bet this was super flavorful – thanks for sharing!
Oh my goodness this sounds (and looks) amazing. I just made a roasted red pepper and butternut soup and can’t wait to try this one now. Bacon just makes everything better! And your pictures are gorgeous!