Creamy Butternut Squash Puree Soup

Creamy Butternut Squash Puree Soup

• 6 cups of fresh Butternut Squash, peeled, seeds removed, chopped into small chunks
• 1/3 lb prosciutto di parma, chopped into small pieces
• 1 large Spanish onion, chopped – approximately 2.5 cups once chopped
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar + 2 tablespoons for garnish
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Two 1 inch thick slices of bacon from a bacon slab
• 4 cups Peanut Oil
• Pepper to taste

1. Bring a soup pot to a medium-low heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions to the pot, slowly cooking the onions until they turn soft and a light golden color. Add the Prosciutto di Parma and stir, cook for 2 minutes. Then add butternut squash chunks, and chicken stock. The chicken stock should be enough to just cover the butternut squash chunks. Crack over some fresh pepper, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium so you’ll get a slow boil and cover the pot with a lid. Stir occasionally until the butternut squash is completely soft. Typically this takes about 30 minutes, but it will depend on how large or small the butternut squash chunks were. Remove from heat and let the soup cool for about 20 minutes, with the lid slightly ajar.
2. Take the soup and pour it into a blender. Depending on the size of your blender you may need to do this in a couple of rounds. Puree the soup mixture, then return it to the soup pot. Put the soup pot on a low heat, and add heavy cream and 1/3 cup of brown sugar and stir. Let the soup cook on low for another 10-15 minutes so it warms, stirring occasionally to make sure the soup does not stick to the bottom of your soup pot.
3. In a smaller sauce pan, bring the 4 cups of peanut oil to a medium high heat. Lay the two one-inch thick strips of bacon flat on a cutting board, and cut half inch thick pieces out of the bacon strips. Once the peanut oil is heated, carefully add the bacon pieces to the oil to deep fry them. Be careful not to burn yourself with splattering oil. Fry until the bacon is done, and remove from the oil and place onto a paper towel to remove excess oil.
4. Place your soup into soup bowls and then drop some of the fried bacon cubes into the center. Sprinkle with your hand a little bit of brown sugar around the bowl. Serve and enjoly!