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Maxima Squash Soup with Carrots & Pancetta

https://blog.williams-sonoma.com/carrot-and-squash-soup-with-pancetta/

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lb. Maxima squash peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 lb. carrots peeled and cut into chunks
  • 2 yellow onions cut into chunks
  • 3 large garlic cloves coarsely chopped
  • 4 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh basil
  • 1 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 mextra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
  • 4 cups (32 fl. oz./1 chicken broth plus more for thinning the soup
  • 6 oz. pancetta diced into 3/4-inch cubes

Instructions

  • Preheat an oven to 425°F (220°C).
  • In a roasting pan, combine the squash, carrots, onions, garlic, thyme, basil and parsley. Season with 1 tsp. salt and a grinding of pepper. Drizzle the 1/4 cup olive oil over the vegetables and toss to coat. Roast, stirring every 15 minutes, until tender and browned in spots, about 45 minutes.
  • Remove the vegetables from the oven and discard the thyme sprigs. Transfer the vegetables to a soup pot and add 4 cups of the broth. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Alternately, transfer the soup to a blender, puree until smooth and return the soup to the pot. Add more broth to thin the soup to the desired consistency. Place over medium-low heat and cook until warmed through, about 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a dry fry pan over medium-low heat, sauté the pancetta until crisped and some of the fat is rendered, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
  • Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with a few of the pancetta “croutons,” drizzle with olive oil and serve.