Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon and Scallion

Hi Diane! This one's for you! (Diane is Rick's sister-in-law.)

The weather's getting cooler, and it's starting to finally feel like the holidays. Butternut Squash Soup is the perfect soup for warming those chilly bones. Most butternut squash soup recipes are pretty basic, but ours has smoky Hungarian paprika, coriander, bacon and freshly chopped scallion. It will make a light, bright side or starter for any meal. And it only takes 30 minutes to make!

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20-30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 tbs. of olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- half of a medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lb.), cut into 1/4-in. pieces
- 3 cups of water
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 2 tsp. of Hungarian paprika
- 1/4 tsp. of coriander
- crumbled bacon
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- cheesy toasts (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook covered for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
2. Add carrots and squash. Cook covered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water, chicken broth and rosemary, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Remove and discard rosemary, and take mixture off heat. Next, puree the soup using an immersion blender or a standard blender (working in small batches). If using a standard blender, return pureed soup to the pot. Add Hungarian paprika, coriander, then salt and pepper to taste. 
4. Ladle soup into individual bowls. Garnish with scallion and bacon. Serve with crusty bread. For a tasty treat, broil crusty bread with cheddar cheese or mozzarella on top.