Cooking on the Ridge: Roasted Squash Soup

by James Coulter

Autumn brings a bounty of seasonal produce: apples, pears, root vegetables, pumpkins, and squash. This roasted squash soup was my first time cooking with butternut, and it taught me a few valuable lessons.

The recipe calls for cutting up the squash into inch large chunks. Sounds easy, right? Well, it wasn’t.

Cutting the squash in half was the toughest part. My knife didn’t cooperate, and actually halving the squash took longer than I expected. And then I had to cut it into pieces.

I was told by a friend on Facebook that they simply cut the squash in half, roast it, then cut it up into pieces. Perhaps, I’ll try that next time.

Actually, halfway into cooking this meal, I realized I could have easily substituted the squash for sweet potato. Cutting up potatoes is much easier than cutting up squash. Again, maybe I’ll try that next time.

All things considered, the effort was worth it. The soup turned out creamy and hearty, lifted by onion, garlic, bacon, and warming spices. The cumin especially offered an almost taco or curry flavor.

Either way, it made for a good warm bowl of soup. Whether you prepare it from squash, pumpkin, or sweet potato, it’s sure to warm you up as the days get cooler.

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Roasted Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 cups of squash or pumpkin, cubed

• 4 slices of bacon, chopped

• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced

• 3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth

• 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

• 1 tsp. salt

• ½ tsp. pepper

• ½ tsp. ground cumin

• ½ tsp. paprika

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F

2. Cut squash or pumpkin in half, brush with oil, and sprinkle with salt.

3. Cook in oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until flesh is caramelized and tender.

4. Let cool, then cut and peel into 1–2-inch cubes.

5. In a large pot, cook bacon until crisp, then reserve a few pieces for garnish.

6. Add chopped onion and sauté for 6-8 minutes or until soft and translucent.

7. Add minced garlic and cook for a minute or until fragrant.

8. Add roasted squash, cumin, paprika, pepper, and salt, then cook for 1-2 minutes.

9. Pour in stock and cook for 8-10 minutes to simmer.

10. Remove from heat and blend until smooth, either with immersion blender or in a countertop blender.

11. Return to pot and add cream. Stir and bring soup to simmer or until all ingredients are well-blended.

12. Ladle into bowls and garnish with remaining bacon. Add chopped chives or parsley.