If you like a creamy soup with just a touch of spice, Butternut Squash Bisque with Bacon is it! Normally a bisque is very creamy with a natural sweetness but we add just a bit of texture by leaving some small chunks of roasted butternut squash. When the bisque is ready to serve we like to drop a dollop of sour cream on top and then a sprinkle some bacon bits to add a nice salty crunch.
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Why you'll like this recipe
- Perfect for a chilly evening when you need something hearty but not heavy.
- Sweet with a velvety texture and a touch of heat.
- Has a bit of zip and fantastic squash flavor.
- Can easily be made into vegan, and dairy-free.
- It's roasted allowing the natural sugars to caramelize.
This butternut squash soup recipe has an earthy flavor that your whole family will love. It's a favorite soup at our house.
Ingredient list
Note: The full list of Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque ingredients with their amounts and options are in the recipe card below.
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- Butternut squash
- Bacon
- Onion
- Carrot
- Garlic cloves
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Chicken broth/chicken stock or vegetable stock
- Dry white wine -- Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, and dry sparkling wine.
- Fresh thyme, rosemary, sage
- Red pepper flakes
- Allspice -- is one spice that combines the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Half and half
- Sea salt
- Freshly grated blak pepper
- Sour cream
- Roasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Spread the squash, onion, carrot and garlic and herbs onto a baking sheet. Toss them with the olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Roast the vegetables for 40 minutes until the squash is soft.
- Place the vegetables in a large soup pot or Dutch oven.
- Add the broth, wine, allspice and red pepper flakes.
- Simmer for 20-25 minutes
- Remove from heat. If you'd like some texture to your soup, remove some squash chunks with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Puree the soup using a stick blender or in a regular blender.
- If using regular blender do this in batches in pour back into pot.
- Stir in the cream.
- Add in the reserved squash chunks to the soup.
- Taste and adjust seasonings.
- To serve ladle the butternut squash soup into bowls and drizzle a stream of sour cream on top and sprinkle with some bacon bits.
Equipment
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In order to make this butternut squash bisque recipe successfully, you’ll need the following items or similar ones.
- Cutting Board
- Sharp knife
- Vegetable peeler
- Baking sheet
- Liquid measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Dutch oven or large soup pot
- Slotted spoon
- Immersion blender, regular blender or food processor
- Ladle
- Soup bowls
Tips
This roasted butternut squash soup recipe abundant with spicy autumn flavors.
These tips are meant to encourage you to try this intensely flavored bisque.
Shopping for a ripe butternut squash
It should be:
- dark in color -- the darker the shade of beige, the better it is.
- matte in appearance -- dull skin is what you're looking for.
- no green patches -- uniform in color and free from blemishes and cuts.
- heavy -- pick the squash that feel like it weighs the most for its size.
- hollow sound -- you want to hear an echo.
How to peel the butternut squash
- Using a very sharp knife, evenly cut off both ends.
- With a good-quality vegetable peeler, scrape off the skin.
- Take the peeled squash and cut it in half.
- Take the two halves and cut them open.
- Scrape out the seeds and throw them away.
If you'd like to soften the skin on the squash before peeling, you'll need to briefly microwave it. First, with a fork or knife, poke holes all over the squash making sure to pierce the skin. Pop the squash in the microwave for 2 minutes at full power.
A quick and easy squash solution
It's very easy to find fresh cubed butternut squash in the produce section of the grocery store. Pick up what you need for any recipe and treat it like the fresh winter squash.
FAQs
Yes. Use coconut milk, vegetable stock and eliminate the sour cream and bacon. For crunch sprinkle some roasted pumpkin seeds on top of the soup.
No. But the flavor is enhanced by roasting. You'll get a sweeter nuttier flavor by roasting.
This recipe makes a slightly sweet, silky, and a touch spicy soup. The bisque is exceptionally rich flavor.
Yes. It freezes very well. Just be sure that you leave room for volume expansion in whatever container you use.
Variations
Using a crockpot or slow cooker:
- Roast your vegetables as given in the recipe instructions. Once the veggies are done, except for the cream, combine all the ingredients together in the slow cooker.
- Cook the butternut squash until tender either on the high or low setting. This will take about 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high. When the soup is done, add the cream in and stir.
- Follow the directions in the recipe card for the immersion blender. If you use a regular blender, transfer the soup to the blender in two batches and puree. Place a towel over the lid and hold it down. If you don't, the top may explode pop off spewing hot liquid everywhere.
- Taste and make sure you like the seasonings. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with your favorite toppings.
Using an Instant Pot
- Add the roasted vegetables, stock, and wine to the Instant pot pressure cooker. Do NOT add the cream or the coconut cream at this time. This will be done at the end.
- Toss to combine and close the lid securely setting the vent to "Sealing".
- Press "Manual", then press "Pressure" until the light on "High Pressure" lights up, then adjust the +/- buttons until the time reads 8 minutes. Cook.
- Then carefully turn the vent to "Venting" for quick release. Wait until all of the steam has released and the valve has dropped. Remove the lid.
- Stir in the cream or coconut milk.
- Using an immersion blender puree the soup until smooth. (You may also use a regular blender follow the directions in the recipe card.)
Vegan roasted butternut squash bisque
The directions will be the same as for the regular squash soup. You will substitute:
- Vegetable stock for the chicken broth.
- Coconut milk for the heavy cream or half and half.
- You will eliminate the sour cream and bacon bits.
Chiacchierata
We look forward to this beautiful pumpkin colored soup every year. The flavors are perfectly blended. This is the type of soup that looks beautiful as the first course at a holiday dinner.
Cream soups are a staple during the cold winter evenings. Another soup we can't get enough of is our Loaded Potato Soup. Try it and see if you don't agree. Next time try our seafood bisque for a fish chowder experience.
Tutti a tavola è pronto.
Un caro saluto e alla prossima.
Recipe
Roasting the butternut squash caramelizes it which lends a deeper flavor to the soup. Make this your holiday soup and you family and guests will thank you.
If you love this butternut squash recipe, please consider giving it a 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
The Best Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque With Bacon
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. butternut squash peeled and diced into ¾" pieces
- 3 strips bacon diced, fried and set aside on paper towels
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 medium carrot peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth vegan
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons sage finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes more or less according to taste
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ⅓ cup half and half
- sea salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste
- Sour cream garnish
- Bacon bits will be sprinkled on top
- Roasted pumpkin seeds optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Place the diced squash, onion, carrot and garlic in a roasting pan or baking sheet with herbs. Toss with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Roast 40 minutes until the squash is soft.
- Place vegetables in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add broth, wine, allspice and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from heat. If you'd like some texture to your soup, remove some squash chunks, about 1 cup, with a slotted spoon and set aside. Puree the soup using a immersion blender or in a regular blender. (If using a regular blender puree the soup in 2 batches. Hot liquid in a regular blender can be dangerous. Using a towel, hold down the lid when you pulse the blender.)
- Pour back into the pot or Dutch oven and stir in the half and half, heavy cream or coconut milk. Add the squash chunks to the soup. Adjust seasonings to taste. Add a dash of cayenne pepper if you like it spicier.
- To serve: ladle soup in bowls drizzle some sour cream around the bowl then sprinkle bacon bits top.
Notes
Shopping for a ripe butternut squash
- dark in color -- the darker the shade of beige, the better it is.
- matte -- the skin should be more dull than shiny.
- no green patches -- uniform in color and free from blemishes and cuts.
- heavy -- pick the squash that feel like it weighs the most for its size.
- sounds hollow -- when you tap on the squash, it should sound hollow.
How to peel the butternut squash
- Using a very sharp knife, evenly cut off both ends.
- With a good-quality vegetable peeler, scrape off the skin.
- Cut the squash in half and then cut open that half.
- Scrape out the seeds and throw them away.
- You can also soften the skin on the squash first before trying to peel. Using a fork or paring knife, poke holes all over the skin of the squash. Then stick the veggie in the microwave for 2 minutes at full power. Using a towel, remove it then proceed with peeling the squash.
A quick and easy squash solution
It's very easy to find fresh cubed butternut squash in the produce section of the grocery store. Pick up what you need for any recipe and treat it like the fresh winter squash.Using a crockpot or slow cooker:
- Roast your vegetables as in the recipe. Then combine all the ingredients minus the cream in a slow cooker.
- Cook the butternut squash until tender, about 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high. Add the cream and stir.
- Follow the directions in the recipe card for the immersion blender. If you use a regular blender, transfer the soup to the blender in two batches and puree. Place a towel over the lid and hold it down. You have to be very careful when blending hot liquids.
- Taste and make sure you like the seasonings. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with your favorite toppings.
Using an Instant Pot
- Add the roasted vegetables, stock, and wine to the Instant pot pressure cooker. Do NOT add the cream or the coconut cream at this time. This will be done at the end.
- Toss to combine and close the lid securely setting the vent to "Sealing".
- Press "Manual", then press "Pressure" until the light on "High Pressure" lights up, then adjust the +/- buttons until the time reads 8 minutes. Cook.
- Then carefully turn the vent to "Venting" for quick release. Wait until all of the steam has released and the valve has dropped. Remove the lid.
- Stir in the cream or coconut milk.
- Use the immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. (You may also use a regular blender doing the pureeing in two batches.
Vegan roasted butternut squash bisque
The directions will be the same as for the regular squash soup. You will substitute the following ingredients:- For the regular chicken stock/broth, use vegetable stock or broth instead.
- Use coconut milk instead of heaving cream or half and half.
- As a garnish use roasted pumpkin seeds instead of bacon bits. Eliminate the sour cream or find a vegan sour cream to drizzle on top.
Nutrition
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. PromiseFirst published November 11, 2015. Last updated September 13, 2021. Updated the post to include more instructions and improve reader experience.
