Squash, the Soup

I’m a sucker for winter squash. One look at the beautiful kabocha, buttercup, delicata and acorn squashes at the farmers market and I think about soups, stews or roasted wedges of squash. And leftover roasted squash can be turned into something good, such as this soup.

Acorn squash baked with Bourbon is an old favorite of mine. To serve and have enough left over to make soup, start with two 2-pound acorn squashes. Cut each squash into 8 wedges and remove the seeds and stringy pulp. Arrange in 2 baking dishes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In a small saucepan, melt 6 tablespoons butter. Add 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons Bourbon and stir until sugar dissolves. Drizzle evenly over squash. Add 1 tablespoon water to bottom of each pan and cover with foil. Roast at 350 degrees until tender when pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes, basting several times. Serve 2 wedges per person, then set aside 8 wedges for this soup.

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Morgan is author of “Cooking for the Week: Leisurely Weekend Cooking for Easy Weekday Meals” (Chronicle Books, $18.95).

Roasted Acorn Squash Soup

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 20 minutes

2 strips bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped

8 wedges roasted acorn squash

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon sugar

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

* Cook bacon in 3 1/2- to 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and crumble. Set aside and keep warm. Remove all but two tablespoons bacon fat from pan. Addapples to pan and saute over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Use a spoon to scrape flesh from cooked squash and add to pan. Discard skins. Saute until heated, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup broth and bring mixture to a simmer.

* Puree mixture in blender or work bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade until smooth. Return to saucepan and add remaining broth, cream, nutmeg and sugar. Stir until thoroughly blended. Bring to simmer and cook 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

* Ladle soup into warm bowls, garnish with reserved bacon and serve immediately.

6 servings. Each serving: 186 calories; 1,139 mg sodium; 31 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 1.58 grams fiber.

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Plates and napkins from Windoqs, Pasadena