As the weather is cooling down, I find myself craving soup more often. I picked up a butternut squash and some gorgeous carrots at the grocery store the other day so I could roast them and throw them in a pot with some onions and coconut milk--seriously, it's so easy and totally delicious.

I've been out of town for a few days and didn't have any stock on hand (chicken or veggie would have been perfect for this), so I added some bacon to the pot first and voila! Bacon Butternut Squash Soup was born.

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash
About a tablespoon of olive oil
5-6 large carrots
4-5 strips of uncooked bacon, diced
1 onion, quartered
2-3 cloves of garlic, smashed
3-4 cups of water (or chicken/veggie broth)
1/2 cup canned coconut milk (full-fat)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Carefully peel and cut the butternut squash in half and remove the seeds. Place the halves cut-side up on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
On the same baking sheet, add the carrots. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 40-60 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-tender. (You might need to remove the carrots before the squash.)
In a large pot, cook bacon over medium-high heat. Once the bacon is crispy, remove from pot and place on a paper towel.
Reduce heat to low and add the onions. Give it a stir, add the garlic, and let them both cook down for about 10 minutes. Add water and simmer on low. Season with cayenne powder, sage, paprika, and some salt and pepper.
Add the carrots and squash to the pot and bring to a low boil. Allow to cook for another 15 or 20 minutes and then carefully blend. (I like to use an immersion blender but you could put it in a regular blender, just don't fill it too much or it'll explode).
Once the soup is smooth, add the coconut milk and stir. Serve hot with crispy bacon on top.