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A black bowl filled with Orange winter squash soup topped with a drizzle of sour cream and bacon bits with a slice of bread on the side.
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5 from 12 votes

The Best Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque With Bacon

A delicious creamy winter squash soup with a touch of spice. The flavors are deep and intense. The bisque is finished with a drizzle of sour cream and a sprinkle of salty bacon bits.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Hearty soup, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 155kcal

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
  • 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
  • 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

This roasted butternut squash soup recipe is a must during the Fall and winter season. These tips are meant to encourage you to try this intensely flavored bisque.

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:

  1. Roast your vegetables as in the recipe. Then combine all the ingredients minus the cream in a slow cooker.
  2. Cook the butternut squash until tender, about 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high. Add the cream and stir.
  3. 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.
  4. Taste and make sure you like the seasonings. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
  5. Ladle into bowls and garnish with your favorite toppings.

Using an Instant Pot

  1. 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.
  2. Toss to combine and close the lid securely setting the vent to "Sealing".
  3. Press "Manual", then press "Pressure" until the light on "High Pressure" lights up, then adjust the +/- buttons until the time reads 8 minutes. Cook.
  4. 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.
  5. Stir in the cream or coconut milk.
  6. 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

Serving: 4g | Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 395mg | Potassium: 557mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 13425IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1mg