Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Chili Oil and Sweet Chili Pistachios is a lovely soup to warm your belly on a cold autumn or winter night. Sweet, spicy, and a little bacony it’s a perfect make-ahead soup for a busy week.
SO COLD!
I guess that’s why they call it Oct-o-brrrrrr.
????
Well, I got something to warm you and the whole house up! Today we are going to make a nice hearty soup. It’s a healthy butternut squash soup that’s sweet, spicy, and chocked full of bacony goodness! Now I’ve adapted this recipe from friend, and fellow food blogger Gerry Speirs of Foodness Gracious and it’s a great recipe, I just wanted to add a little more spice and a little more robustness to the recipe..
A little about my alterations. I added a little extra bacon, not because I thought Gerry didn’t use enough, but that extra strip just clung to it’s bacony brethren and I figured he should join the party.???? Also I roasted the chili in the oil to extract some more flavor rather than just steeping it in the oil. Lastly, since this is a bit of a spicy recipe, I wanted to add a little something extra, and in this case .(and I’m not getting paid to say this but I should be) Wonderful Pistachios has these fantastic sweet chili pistachios. They are an amazing focal point of this dish and are totally worth it. If you can’t find them in a store, well, hit up Amazon!
Bacon? Pistachios? I’M HUNGRY!
Let’s get to it then, First thing’s first, we need to preheat the oven to 375ºF. Next grab a cutting board (I’m a big fan of the OCD cutting board) and a meat cleaver because you’re going to need a big knife to cut this butternut squash.
Wow, that IS a phallic looking fruit. Well, we need to dice that wang-like winter squash. Start by cutting it in half long ways, using a large meat cleaver because it gives you a bit of leverage. Next, use an ice cream scooper to scoop out the seeds and stringy bits. Do not throw them in the garbage disposal because they will jam it up. Then peel the halves with a vegetable peeler and dice them into 1 inch cubes.
Lay them out on baking sheets. You’re probably going to need two. Drizzle the squash with olive oil sprinkle with equal amounts of fresh thyme (2 tablespoons each), salt, and pepper and toss. place the bacon in the empty spots on the baking sheet. Put them in the oven and roast for 45 minutes. When the squash is ready, take it out and let cool.
Place the jalapeño on a third baking sheet and drizzle that with 1/2 cup of olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes. When the 30 minutes are up, strain the oil through a sieve into a measuring cup discarding the jalapeño.
While the oil roasts, heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft (about 3-5 minutes). Add the garlic, tarragon, nutmeg, and remaining tablespoon of thyme and cook until fragrant (1 minute). Add the squash into the pot, making sure you scrape up any of the brown bits on the pan. Add 4 cups of chicken stock and then purée everything with an immersion blender until smooth. Add the cream and stir. Turn it down to low, cover, and simmer until the pepper is done roasting.
Serve in bowls with chopped pistachios in the center and the chili oil on the side to let your guests determine the heat themselves. Also, don’t forget a good hearty bread and cheese. MMM cheese.
Currently Jamming To
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This recipe requires a little something special. Here’s a list of what you will need:
[list][list_item icon=”fa-cutlery”]Wonderful Sweet Chili Pistachios[/list_item][list_item icon=”fa-cutlery”]Immersion Blender[/list_item][/list]
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Butternut Squash Soup with Sweet Chili Pistachios and Chili Oil
Ingredients
For The Squash
- 1 Large Butternut Squash
- 1 Large Jalepeño
- 5 Strips of Bacon Chopped
- 5 Tablespoons Fresh Thyme Leaves Chopped
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
For The Soup
- 1 Medium Onion Diced
- 2 Cloves of garlic Chopped
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Tarragon
- 1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Nutmeg
- 4 Cups Homemade Chicken Broth
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Wonderful Sweet Chili Pistachios
For The Chili Oil
- 1 Jalapeño
- 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
To Roast The Squash
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Preheat Oven To 375ºF
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Cut the tip off the squash and cut in half lengthwise and peel the halves. Scoop out the seeds and stringy bits with an ice cream scooper. Cut into 1 inch cubes.
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Lay out squash on baking sheets (you might need 2). Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with 4 tbsp thyme leaves (if using two pans divide equally, 2 and 2), salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Place bacon in the empty spots of the pan. Put it in the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
To Make The Chili Oil
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Place 1 jalapeño in a small rimmed baking pan.
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Cover with extra-virgin olive oil and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
To Make The Soup
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Heat oil a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat.
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Add the onion, and sauté until soft. Cook until softened (about 3-5 minutes).
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Add the garlic, tarragon, nutmeg, and remaining tablespoon of thyme and cook until fragrant (1 minute).
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Add the squash into the pot, making sure you scrape up any of the brown bits on the pan.
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Add 4 cups of chicken stock and then purée everything with an immersion blender until smooth.
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Add the cream and stir.
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Turn it down to low, cover, and simmer until the pepper is done roasting.
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Serve in bowls with chopped pistachio in the center and the chili oil on the side to let your guests determine the heat themselves.
Recipe Notes
This soup freezes well, making for a perfect make ahead meal. Just add the pistachios when your ready to serve.
Adapted from Jerry Speirs
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