Creamy Squash and Bacon Soup: A Summer Comfort Delight

Start by preparing all your ingredients. Seed, peel, and cut the acorn squash into ¼-inch pieces. Dice the potatoes and finely chop the onion.

Cook the Bacon

Cook 1/2 cup of smoked bacon until golden and crispy. Drain the bacon, retaining one spoonful of bacon fat. Set aside the cooked bacon for later use.

Sauté the Onions

In a large soup pot, melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and add the retained bacon fat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook until they are soft and translucent. This should take about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 teaspoons of ground paprika to infuse the onions with flavor.

Add the squash and diced potatoes to the pot. Pour in 6 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Once the vegetables are tender, use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, you can transfer the mixture to a blender and blend in batches. Add 1/2 cup of milk to the blender and blend until smooth. Return the blended mixture to the pot.

Stir in the remaining 1 cup of milk and let the soup simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the coarsely chopped bacon and stir over moderately low heat for 5 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve with crusty bread for a complete meal. Enjoy the symphony of flavors and textures in this creamy squash and bacon soup.