I made butternut squash soup the other day, and it turned out pretty well. The leftovers were even better the second day, and I set aside a small ramekin of it for Griffin to eat (maybe 1/3 cup) with the soft chokey bacon pieces taken out. Griff was munching on some sweet potato fries while we ate, but as soon as the soup arrived, he was no longer interested in finishing them.

Jag fed him the entire ramekin, but once it was gone, Griff started pounding his hands on his tray, asking for more. There was still a little soup remaining in the tupperware in the kitchen. “Do you think he’ll take it cold?” Jag asked. “Well, give it to him and see if he’ll eat it,” I suggested. Jag served out some cold soup, which Griff enthusiastically polished off, and then expectantly smacked his tray. Jag just gave up at this point and brought over the entire container of leftovers. Griff ate every last bit that Jag was able to scrape out of it for him.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash, approx 2.5-3lb
3 carrots
2 small onions
4 cloves garlic
2 cans cannellini (or Great Northern) beans
1/2 lb bacon, chopped
24-32 oz chicken broth
1/4 cup half & half or light cream
Thyme, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400. Split the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and strings. Place face-up in 9×13 baking dish, along with 1 peeled, quartered onion and the three carrots, cut into chunks. Drizzle all with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs and salt and pepper. Bake for 45-60 minutes, flipping the squash and stirring the veggies halfway through, until squash, carrots and onions are cooked and soft (and hopefully slightly caramelized and yummy).

Meanwhile, fry up the bacon in a dutch oven or soup pot until crisp. Remove bacon but leave as much of the drippings as you’re comfortable with. Chop the second onion and fry in the bacon drippings until softened. Add the garlic (minced or crushed) and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Puree one can of beans, the scooped out squash, and the roast vegetables together in a blender or food processor, and add to the soup pot. (Best to do the pureeing in batches, and make sure your blender jar is screwed on tightly to avoid hot squash puree leakage. Ahem.) Add the can of whole beans, and as much of the chicken stock as needed for desired thickness. Stir the soup well to combine the ingredients and heat to a low simmer. Taste and add additional seasonings as desired. Add cream, stir and remove from heat. Add the crispy bacon bits to the pot now and stir in, or use them as a garnish on top of the individual bowls. Serve!