Savory Butternut Turkey Bacon Soup
from Roshelle Amundson
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs of butternut squash
- 2 large cloves of garlic- roasted or raw
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 6-8 strips bacon or turkey bacon (vegetarian option to use smoked gouda for bacon-y flavor)
- 1/3 c Half & Half or milk for reduced cal/fat (I use almond milk)
- 3-4 c chicken broth (or veggie)
- Onion-optional
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions:
- Roast whole or halved squash at 375 for 45 to 50 minutes.
- The skins will peel right off. (This is all so much easier than trying to cut and cube the gourd to boil it)!
- Saute garlic in butter (add onion if elected), add broth and softened, de-seeded squash.
- Use immersion blender or mash by hand until pureed consistency; allow to simmer.
- Prepare bacon to preference. Slice and add to soup.
- Continue to simmer.
** At this ratio the soup has a fluid but thicker consistency like split pea soup; easy to modify with increased squash or broth. Add half-and-half or milk slowly stirring in and allowing to simmer. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve & enjoy!
Note from Roshelle: This recipe can be made vegetarian/vegan/diary-free by swapping out broth selection, cream for almond milk, smoked gouda (bacon flavor) for turkey bacon, etc. as applicable. Using almond milk or skim over cream thins out the soup for those who don’t like a split-pea thick texture and reduces fat. I have served this to many people, including campus potlucks, and it is always a hit–particularly with those whom are craving savory over sweet butternut-based soup. It’s a fall favorite!
Baked Squash
from Olivia Raasch
Ingredients:
- 1 Acorn Squash
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
Directions:
- First, fill a pan with an inch of water. (Make sure throughout baking that water remains in the bottom of the pan.)
- Then cut the squash in half and clean out the seeds.
- Place both halves (cut side down) in the inch of water.
- Put the pan in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until the squash is soft to touch.
- Take the squash out, flip over so they look like bowls, and place 1Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp brown sugar in the center of each half.
- Place back in oven and bake for 5 minutes.
- Remove from oven and enjoy!