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1. Put diced bacon pieces in a large pot over medium heat. Cook until fat has rendered and bacon is crispy, about 7-10 minutes.
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2. Remove cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Leave the bacon fat in the pot over medium heat.
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3. Add chopped onion and garlic to bacon fat and stir to combine. Saute, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and slightly browned, about 4 minutes.
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4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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5. Add a splash of stock to the pan to deglaze, and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon or stiff spatula. Add the rest of the stock and stir to combine. Bring mixture up to a simmer.
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6. When soup is simmering, stir in butternut squash puree and bring the mixture back up to a simmer.
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7. Remove soup from heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
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8. Add goat cheese to soup and stir until cheese has melted.
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9. Add milk to soup and stir to combine. I like to use my immersion blender one more time here and blend until all milk and goat cheese are completely incorporated and the soup is smooth and velvety.
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10. Ladle soup into individual bowls and top with a sprinkling of goat cheese, a handful of the bacon you cooked at the beginning of the recipe, and a sprig of parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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Notes:
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1. I roast a butternut squash every few weeks, puree it, and keep it in the fridge to use as needed for recipes like these! I love having roasted squash on demand for soups, risotto, and pasta sauces. To make your own puree, halve a large butternut squash and scoop out the seeds. Place cut-side down on a baking sheet and bake at 400u00b0F for 30-45 minutes or until squash is easily pierced with a fork. Let cool, then scrape roasted squash into the bowl of a food processor and give it a good whirl to blend it into a puree. Store in fridge for up to a week and use as needed for recipes like this one.
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2. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can blend soup in a regular blender.
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3. If the soup is too thick, add a little more milk to thin it out. Too thin? Blend in a scoop of roasted butternut squash to thicken it up.
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4. To make this soup vegetarian, omit bacon from recipe and instead saute onions and garlic in a drizzle of olive oil. To make it vegan, omit goat cheese as well and substitute almond or coconut milk for the milk in the recipe.
