Butternut squash soup with bacon and brandy is exactly the sort of soup I start thinking about as leaves are starting to change and squash is showing up at the farmer's market and my local grocer, hanging around for the duration of winter.
Nutty and sweet roasted butternut squash is complimented with the addition of brandy with it's fruity flavor with hints of oak and caramel. The finished soup is blended until silky smooth and served with salty and crispy crumbled bacon for a textural contrast.
For an elevated experience, read further to the "variation" where I've finished the soup with a drizzle of orange-infused olive oil and a sprinkle of minced chives -- a perfect starter for a special meal like Thanksgiving.
Hint: Butternut squash is the most common for making soup, but can be substituted with other seasonal squash like acorn, buttercup, Hubbard, sugar pumpkin, or delicata squash.
Ingredients
- butternut squash
- live oil
- salt
- bacon
- butter
- yellow onion
- leeks
- sage
- brandy
- chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- bay leaf
- heavy cream
- maple syrup
- sweet paprika,
- salt and pepper
- crème fraiche or sour cream (optional)
See recipe card for quantities.
Jump to RecipeInstructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Brush butternut squash halves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake in oven for 45 minutes until easily pierced with a fork.
Meanwhile over medium heat, saute bacon in a soup pot or Dutch oven until crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel to drain. Leave 1 tablespoon bacon fat in pot.
Add butter and saute onions until translucent and starting to caramelize.
Add chopped sage to mixture and continue to saute until sage is frizzled and fragrant.
Add brandy and reduce by half. Remove pot from heat and reserve.
Add brandy and reduce by half. Remove pot from heat and reserve.
Use a large spoon to scoop the butternut squash flesh into the pot along with the bay leaf and 4 cups of chicken stock.
Bring to a boil over high, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Transfer contents of pot to a blender or food processor.
Process until smooth. (Or leave in the soup pot and process using an immersion blender.)
Transfer back to the soup pot and stir in heavy cream, maple syrup, sweet paprika and salt and pepper to taste. If soup is to thin, add chicken stock until it is the desired consistency.
Serve topped with reserved bacon, a sprinkle of paprika and a dollop of crème fraiche if desired.
Substitutions
- Butternut Squash -- substitute 3 lbs. of other winter squash, such as acorn, buttercup, Hubbard, sugar pumpkin, and delicata squash
- Bacon -- consider using pancetta or diced prosciutto instead of bacon. Or even cured diced chorizo
- Heavy cream -- make it lighter with milk or half and half
- Fresh sage -- substitute 2 tablespoons fresh sage with 2 teaspoons dried sage
- Brandy -- for a smoky, sweet, nutty, and toasty undertone, substitute the brandy with bourbon
Variations
Instead of topping the soup with bacon, drizzle it with orange-infused olive oil and a sprinkle of chopped chives.
Orange-Infused Olive Oil Finish: This variation is inspired from a trip to Napa where I competed in the Sutter Home Build a Better Burger Contest. The folks at Sutter Home hosted us for a memorable and special welcome dinner at the vineyard where we were served the silkiest butternut soup that was perfectly finished with a drizzle of orange-infused olive oil.
I carted back a bottle of the orange-infused olive oil from Olivier And while it is long gone -- it is so, so easy to recreate at home. Check out my recipe for orange-infused olive oil!
Asian Inspiration: Substitute the sage with 3 tablespoons of thai red curry paste and swap out the cream for full fat coconut milk.
Equipment
- stock pot
- blender, food processor or immersion blender
Storage
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 4 months.
🍽️ Recipe
Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon and Brandy
Ingredients
- 3 pound butternut squash cut in half, seeds removed
- olive oil
- salt
- 4 strips bacon
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 large or 2 small leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced in ½” rings
- 2 tablespoons chopped sage
- ⅓ cup brandy
- 32 ounces chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, plus more for garnish if desired
- salt and pepper to taste
- crème fraiche or sour cream for serving optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Brush butternut squash halves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake in oven for 45 minutes until easily pierced with a fork.
- Meanwhile over medium heat, saute bacon in a soup pot or Dutch oven until crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel to drain. Leave 1 tablespoon bacon fat in pot. Add butter and saute onions until translucent and starting to caramelize. Add chopped sage to mixture and continue to saute until sage is frizzled and fragrant. Add brandy and reduce by half. Remove pot from heat and reserve.
- Remove squash from the oven and allow to cool. Use a large spoon to scoop the butternut squash flesh into the pot along with the bay leaf and 4 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a boil over high, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Transfer contents of pot to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. (Or leave in the soup pot and process using an immersion blender.) Transfer back to the soup pot and stir in heavy cream, maple syrup, sweet paprika and salt and pepper to taste. If soup is too thin, add additional chicken stock until it is the desired consistency.
- Serve topped with reserved bacon, a sprinkle of paprika or a dollop of crème fraiche.
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