Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Soup
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This easy roasted butternut squash soup is so silky smooth, so dreamy, and so creamy! The secret is roasting the butternut squash first!
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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!
Why you’ll love this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Dreamiest butternut squash soup. With its silky smooth texture, this is the only recipe you will need this fall (and winter) season for years to come.
- Smoky goodness. The secret to the recipe is roasting the butternut squash with bacon, onion, bell pepper, and garlic first. That way, you have that smoky, garlicky-bacon goodness built right into the soup.
- The garnishes are simply the best. A sprinkle of crumbled, crispy bacon, goat cheese, and fresh chives simply takes this soup to the next level. It’s truly just so much coziness in a single bowl.
How to make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Prep the butternut squash. Place the butternut squash, onion, bell pepper, and bacon on a greased baking sheet. Stir in the olive oil, garlic, salt, and peper, tossing until evenly coated. Pro tip: for a quick weeknight shortcut, use pre-cut butternut squash.
- Roast the butternut squash. Spread out the vegetables in a single layer, avoiding any overlap. Bake at 400°F for 25-30 minutes, or until the squash is fork-tender, stirring or flipping halfway through.
- Cook the bacon. Dice the raw bacon slices into small pieces and add to a hot Dutch oven over medium heat. Spread the bacon out in a single layer and cook, stirring often, until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Blend. Stir in the roasted butternut squash and thyme in the leftover bacon grease until fragrant. Then stir in the chicken stock, pureeing with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.
- Simmer. Reduce the heat to a simmer until thickened, about 5-10 minutes. Pro tip: if the soup is too thick, add a small splash of chicken stock.
- Serve. Serve warm, ladled into bowls and garnished with the crispy bacon, crumbled goat cheese, chopped fresh chives, or any other garnishes (see below) as desired.
Garnishes to add
- Crunchy: croutons, crumbled bacon, chopped nuts, or pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- Creamy: dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, drizzle of heavy cream, or swirl of full-fat coconut milk
- Herbs: chopped fresh chives, green onions, cilantro, or parsley
- Fruit: pomegranate seeds
- Cheese: crumbled goat cheese, crumbled blue cheese, or freshly grated Parmesan
what to serve with butternut squash soup
Tools For This Recipe
Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute sweet potatoes for the butternut squash?
Absolutely! You can substitute about 3 pounds sweet potatoes.
How can I make this vegetarian?
You can omit the bacon and substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock.
What if I don’t have an immersion blender?
A countertop blender (such as a Vitamix or Blendtec) or food processor should do the trick! When using a countertop blender, cool the soup slightly and blend in batches.
What toppings can I add?
Toasted pumpkin seeds, fried sage leaves, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), heavy cream, or blue cheese crumbles are all great options!
Is butternut squash soup freezer-friendly?
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the garnishes in individual freezer bags, thawing overnight and gently reheating on the stovetop, adding fresh garnishes just before serving.
Can I make butternut squash soup in the Instant Pot?
Absolutely! Click here for a favorited Instant Pot version.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Soup
This easy roasted butternut squash soup is so silky smooth, so dreamy, and so creamy! The secret is roasting the butternut squash first!
Video
Ingredients
- 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 fresh chives
for the roasted butternut squash
- 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
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Add the roasted butternut squash 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.
for the roasted butternut squash
- 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.*
Equipment
Notes
- Grab pre-cut squash. To cut down on prep time even more, use pre-cut butternut squash or sweet potatoes.
- Roast the butternut squash. Roasting the butternut squash beforehand will add more rich and caramelized flavors all around.
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your soup. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
- Blending is key. With the help of an immersion blender or a countertop blender, the soup will yield an even creamier, smoother consistency.
- Add garnishes. Garnishes are always optional but a fresh sprinkle of chives or some crispy bacon will certainly take your soup to the next level, adding more flavor, texture and contrast.
- Mix it up. Use sweet potato in place of butternut squash, or a blend of both.
- Freeze without the garnishes. Butternut squash soup can keep in the freezer for up to 3 months, freezing in single-serving sizes (for easy thawing) and reheating gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
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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!!