All good things in that title! This is a great soup that looks and tastes really luxurious. The richness is deceptively healthy because of pureed squash and sweet potatoes. I add a tiny drizzle of cream on top but other than that, the richness is already very sufficient on its own. The herbed croutons are the other best part of this soup. The flavors and textures together really create a glorious concoction that is the perfect way to warm up any day!
BUTTERNUT SQUASH, SWEET POTATO + GINGER SOUP WITH BACON AND HERB PARMESAN CROUTONS
3 strips of bacon, chopped in 1/2" pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1(2 - 3 pound) butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced
2 large garnet yams / sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
7 cups chicken stock
Heavy cream, for drizzling garnish
Herb Parmesan Croutons, for garnish (recipe below)
Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until rendered and you have a good amount of bacon grease. Remove bacon from pot and place on paper towels. Keep grease in the pot and add the chopped onion. Saute the onion for 6-7 minutes until translucent. Add fresh ginger and saute another minute. Stir in fresh thyme and saute another minute. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in butternut squash, all the potatoes and the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and season with salt. Let cook over a medium simmer (roughly 30 minutes) until the squash and potatoes are soft.
Using an immersion blender (alternatively, very carefully, transfer to a blender) and blend until very smooth. Return to pot (if you transferred to a blender) and stir to remove any lumps and season with salt and pepper, as needed. Serve with a group of croutons (recipe below), a drizzle of heavy cream, and the reserved chopped bacon.
CROUTONS:
1 loaf of french bread, baguette or rolls (any stale rustic bread will work), cut into 1" cubes
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
2 Tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan
Salt + Pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until fully coated (you may need a little more olive oil if you feel the croutons aren't evenly coated). Pour onto a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before topping on soup.
Oooo, yum! Can't wait to try this. My most favorite food is the butternutnsquash soup from "joy of cooking" book - it has ginger too. But this one might beat it out!
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