Butternut Squash Soup With Apples and Bacon

Butternut Squash Soup With 

Apples and Bacon

This is a recipe from a cooking class my friend Ann and I took with our favorite instructor, Phillis Carey.  I know this recipe will become a family favorite.

Ingredients;

4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4" strips

1/4 cup chopped shallots

2 1/2 lbs. butternut squash, (about 1 med.)

   peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2" dice

1 small Fugi or other tart-sweet apple, 

   peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2" dice

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cups chicken broth

1 Tablespoon chopped thyme leaves

* 

Directions;

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot set over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden, 8 to 10 minutes.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.

Increase heat to medium high.  Add the shallots and squash to the pot with the bacon fat and cook until lightly browned, 4 minutes (resist the urge to stir or it won't brown).  Stir in the apple, curry, salt, and pepper and cook for about 4 minutes.  Add the broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.  Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the squash and apples are very soft, 6 to 8 minutes.

Puree soup with an emersion blender until almost smooth.  Stir in the thyme anad half of the bacon.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Reheat the soup and garnish each serving with remaining bacon.

Tips shared in class;  

Fruit prepared ahead that can turn dark will retain its natural color if soaked up to 4 hours in regular Sprite soda.   

Herbs used in cooking: dried herbs need to be added earlier in preparation to be hydrated and flavor imparted.  Fresh herbs should be added at the end of cooking as they should not be "cooked".  

Red Delicious and McIntosh Apples turn mushy when cooked and do not hold up in the soup.