Butternut Squash Soup W/amaretti Cookie Crumbs

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 slices bacon
• 1 onion, small to medium sized diced
• 1 butternut squash, 11/2-2lb cubed into 1 inch pieces
• 6 cups chicken stock (i use kitchen basics)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/3 cup half-and-half
• 1 (7 ounce) package amaretti cookies, you'll need about 15

Recipe

• 1 in your soup pot on med-med high heat lightly fry your bacon slices in the olive oil. once bacon has cooked remove from pot and discard(or eat it like i do!).
• 2 saute diced onion in your oil and renderings until soft and slightly translucent.
• 3 add your cubed squash to pot and saute until flesh starts to soften- aprox. 5-8min.
• 4 add your stock and turn up heat enough to produce a good simmer without boiling and cook for another 10-15 min stirring occasionally until squash is soft.
• 5 stir in salt, pepper, pumpkin pie spice and sugar.
• 6 take off heat(for safety) and with either an immersion blender or potato masher break down the squash into a puree, leave chunks of squash if you prefer. be sure to thoroughly mix in the spices if using the potato masher, the immersion blender will take care of that for you.
• 7 now is the time you can taste and adjust your spices and if you prefer a thicker soup place pot back on med heat and continue to cook out the moisture.
• 8 once you are satisfied with your taste and consistency stir in the half and half.
• 9 on each serving take one or two amaretti cookies and crush them in your hand and sprinkle on top of the soup, yum!
• 10 enjoy!