Nothing says winter quite like a big pot of hearty, comforting soup! This Chicken Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon does not disappoint. It’s the perfect balance of savory and sweet and is sure to warm up your entire family on chilly evenings.
This soup is simple to make yet still packs a lot of flavors thanks to the roasted butternut squash and bacon. Plus the combination of protein-rich chicken, creamy squash, flavorful bacon, and fragrant herbs makes for a hearty meal that your entire family will love.
So let’s get cooking – here’s how you can make this amazing Chicken Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon!
🥘 Equipment
To make this hearty butternut squash soup, you’ll need a large soup pot for cooking and an immersion blender to make the texture creamy.
Though the ingredient list might look long, you probably already have many of the ingredients on hand.
🔪 Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients ready to make chicken butternut squash soup.
Soup Ingredients
- 3 butternut squash (small to medium, with seeds removed)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (for sautéing)
- ½ Tbsp olive oil (to brush on squash)
- ½ cup green onions diced
- 1½ tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 boneless skinless chicken breast (large)
- ¾ tsp salt (divided)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper (divided between soup and squash)
- ½ tsp dried thyme (divided between soup and squash)
- 1 tsp dry sage (divided between soup and squash)
- ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 cups chicken stock or bone broth
- ½ cup coconut cream
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp honey
- ½ cup bacon bits (real)
Coconut Crema Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup coconut cream (canned)
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp lime juice (concentrated)
👩🍳 How To Make Butternut Squash Soup
Roasting Butternut Squash
The first thing that needs to be done is to roast the butternut squash. To do so, start by covering a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
Brush the cut sides of the butternut squash with olive oil and season with ¼ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon of thyme, and ½ teaspoon of sage. Place the squash cut-side down on the cookie sheet and bake for 30 – 45 minutes or until soft. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool.
Making the Soup
After the squash has cooked, place 1 ½ teaspoons of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic until soft and fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Push the onions and peppers to one side and add the chicken to the pot. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink inside and is cooked through about 4-6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
To the soup pot, add the chicken stock, ½ cup of coconut cream, ½ sour cream, ¼ teaspoon of cumin, ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg, and 1 tablespoon of honey. Cut the cooled squash into cubes and add to the soup base. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 10-15 minutes.
Remove the soup from the heat source and puree using an immersion blender. Season to taste. Add the diced chicken to the soup and stir.
Scoop the soup into bowls and top with coconut crema and bacon bits.
🥥 What is Mexican Crema?
Mexican crema is a slightly tangy, creamy sauce often served with tacos, enchiladas, and other Mexican dishes. It is made from heavy cream or a combination of sour cream and whole milk. The sauce adds flavor and texture to dishes while balancing flavors in spicy foods.
Mexican crema is generally drizzled over the top of the dish right before eating, but can also be used as an ingredient in recipes that calls for it, such as tacos al pastor. It can also be used to make delicious dips that are great for snacks like chips or vegetables.
Crema makes a delicious addition to this chicken butternut squash soup. I made mine with coconut cream instead of heavy whipping cream for a distinct flavor that pairs well with the soup recipe.
🥄How To Make Crema
To make this coconut version of crema, you start by whisking sour cream and coconut cream tother in a mixing bowl until they are completely combined.
Whisk in salt and lime juice. Set aside at room temperature for 2 hours to thicken.
If you don’t have time to make authentic crema from scratch, you can simply omit it or use store-bought sour cream to save time.
❓FAQ
Yes, but you’ll want to omit any dairy from the recipe before freezing. So for this soup, leave out the coconut cream and sour cream. When you thaw and reheat the soup to serve, add both at that time,
While this recipe is a filling meal all by itself, you might want bread or a vegetable to serve with it. I suggest Oven Roasted Beets with Brussels Sprouts or these Mini Wheat Bread Loaves.
🍽️ Other Butternut Squash Recipes
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
Chicken Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon
Equipment
- Large soup pot
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 3 butternut squash seeds removed
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil divided
- ½ cup green onions diced
- 1 ½ tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 large boneless chicken breast skinless, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ¾ teaspoon salt divided
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
- ½ teaspoon thyme divided
- 1 teaspoon sage divided
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 cups chicken stock or bone broth
- ½ cup coconut cream
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ cup bacon bits
Mexican Crema
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup coconut cream
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon lime juice concentrate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Cover the cut sides of the butternut squash with ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle squash with ¼ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon of thyme, and ½ teaspoon of sage. Place the squash cut-side down on the cookie sheet and bake for 30 – 45 minutes or until soft. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool.
- Place 1 ½ teaspoons of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until soft and fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Push the onions and peppers to one side and add chicken to the pot and add ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink inside and is cooked through, about 4-6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- To the soup pot add the chicken stock, ½ cup coconut cream, ½ sour cream, ¼ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and 1 tablespoon of honey. Cut the cooled squash into cubes and add to soup base. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the soup from the heat source and puree using an immersion blender. Season to taste. Add the diced chicken to the soup and stir.
- Scoop soup into bowls and top with cocout crema and bacon bits.
Mexican Crema
- Whisk sour cream and coconut cream tother in a mixing bowl until completely combined.
- Whisk in salt and lime juice. Set aside at room temperature for 2 hours or overnight to thicken.
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