Smoked butternut squash with jalapenos, crispy bacon, cheese & white beans makes this the perfect creamy cold-weather soup!
Warming You Up From The Inside Out
With winter squash in season now, I’m all about comfort foods. Nothing beats firing up the Yoder Smokers YS640, adding some squash, and smoking it to give it such incredible depth of flavor.
Truly, the flavors developed by smoking it are incredible! To find out how I smoked this squash and others, check out THIS POST!
Creamu Smoked Butternut Squash Ingredients
This recipe starts with already-smoked butternut squash. Trust me, it makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE in this recipe! *SEE below if you don’t have a smoker!
- Veggies – carrots, jalapenos, onions, and white beans
- Bacon
- Liquids – stock and heavy cream
- Seasoning – sea salt and Chupacabra Fajita Seasoning
- Garnish – fresh thyme, smoked gouda, pepitas
Watch The Video
The video breaks it all down and shows you when to add stuff.
- In a large Dutch Oven over medium heat, add the olive oil, sea salt, carrots, onions, and 2 Tablespoons (about one diced jalapeno). Cook for 15 minutes, or until the onions and carrots have softened. Stir frequently.
- Add in the butternut squash flesh and the stock, and stir. Cook for 15 minutes. Add in the 1 1/2 Tablespoons of fajita seasoning. Bring to a boil. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth and creamy.
- Add the cream, a few thyme leaves, the remaining fajita seasoning, and jalapenos, stirring to combine. Bring just to a gentle boil and carefully add in the white beans. Stir to combine, Cook for 5 minutes, taste for seasoning, and serve!
Butternut Squash Soup Garnishes
I’m particularly fond of toppings and garnishes on my soups and chili dishes. To me, they finish the dish.
For the toppings, I found that minced jalapenos added great crunch and bright heat. Crispy bacon because, well, it’s bacon. Smoked Gouda to help round out the flavor, and pepitas for added crunch.
- To plate, spoon some soup into a bowl and top with smoked Gouda, crispy bacon, minced jalapenos, and pepitas.
Smoky Oven-Roasted Butternut Squash
If you don’t have a smoker, no worries. You can still make this soup by oven-roasting the squash.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking pan with foil. Place the cut and cleaned butternut squash flesh-side up in the pan.
- Score the squash, brush the flesh with olive oil, and sprinkle the flesh with ~1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika.
- Roast for ~45 minutes or until the squash is soft and fork-tender.
Recipe Substitutions & Additions
- Cream – you can go with half and half, whole milk, coconut milk, or vegan products
- Beans – you can also use cannellini beans or chickpeas
- Herbs – you can use rosemary, sage, or herbs de Provence instead of thyme
Freezing & Reheating Butternut Squash Soup
You need to read this carefully and plan accordingly if you plan on freezing the soup.
Freezing
- Make the soup without the cream if you plan to freeze it. Freezing cream-based soups can sometimes “break” when you thaw them out, causing them to turn grainy in texture.
- So make this soup up until the step after you puree it. Do not continue to add the cream or thyme.
- Allow it to cool completely, portion accordingly, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating
- To reheat, allow the soup to thaw in the fridge overnight. If you can’t wait, you can use a microwave or a stovetop pan, but heat it slowly.
- When the mixture is fully thawed, bring it to a low boil. Add in the cream, thyme, and remaining chopped jalapenos and stir. The cream will combine into the soup, making it luxurious and decadent without being grainy.
Ultimate Creamy Smoked Butternut Squash White Bean Bacon Soup
Smoked butternut squash with jalapenos, crispy bacon, cheese & white beans makes this the perfect creamy cold-weather soup!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Category: comfort food, creamy, smoky, soup, squash, vegetarian
- Method: smoker and oven
- Cuisine: comfort food, creamy, smoky, soup, squash, vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash, smoked (about 4 cups)
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, cut into small coins/pieces
- 2 jalapenos (about 4 Tablespoons), seeded and minced, divided
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 slices of bacon, crispy and chopped
- 3 15oz cans of northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 Tablespoons Chupacabra Fajita Seasoning, divided
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- Garnish – fresh thyme leaves, smoked gouda, pepitas
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil, sea salt, carrots, onions, and 2 Tablespoons (about 1 diced jalapeno). Cook for 15 minutes or until the onions and carrots soften. Stir frequently.
- Add in the butternut squash flesh, and the stock, and stir. Cook for 15 minutes. Add in the 1 1/2 Tablespoons of fajita seasoning. Bring to a boil. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth and creamy.
- Add the cream, some thyme leaves, the rest of the fajita seasoning, and jalapenos stirring to combine. Bring just to a gentle boil and carefully add in the white beans. Stir to combine, Cook for 5 minutes, taste for seasoning, and serve!
- To plate, ladle some soup into a bowl, and top with some smoked gouda, crispy bacon, minced jalapenos, and pepitas.
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