Acorn Squash Soup

Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Wrap each squash in aluminum foil. Bake for 50-60 minutes, rotating squash halfway through. Check for tenderness. Continue to bake in 10 minute intervals until tender. Remove from oven.*
2 acorn squash
Cut top off. Remove seeds and discard. Remove flesh and put in a bowl.**
Cut bacon into pieces and add to a stockpot. Cook until crispy. Remove bacon and set on a plate with paper towel.
4 slices bacon
Add garlic, shallot and carrots to the pot with the bacon grease. Cook until shallot becomes fragrant and starts to brown a little bit.
1 shallot, 4 cloves garlic, 2 large carrots
Add vegetable or chicken stock, heavy cream, maple syrup and the flesh of the acorn squash to pot. Simmer mixture on the stove top until carrots are softened (15-20 minutes). Continue stirring while the mixture is cooking so you don’t burn the cream.
2 c vegetable or chicken stock, 1 c heavy cream, 2 tablespoon maple syrup
Once the carrots are softened, use an immersion blender to blend the soup together until smooth.***
Season with spices and salt and pepper.
½ teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ginger, salt and pepper to taste
Serve soup in bowl and garnish with the bacon that you previously cooked. Other garnishes include heavy cream, sunflower seeds, and parsley flakes.****
heavy cream, sunflower seeds, and parsley for garnish