Honeynut Squash Soup with Apple and Bacon

This honeynut squash soup with apple and bacon is velvety and smoky with sweet notes from the honeynut squash and the apple. 

This soup takes less than 45 minutes to make and is wonderful for lunch with a salad or for dinner as a first course or the vegetable course. It is also easy to make in advance and reheat for later, although it won't last long once you taste it. We polished this soup off in no time. 

I made this soup after receiving some honeynut squash in a produce box from Melissa's Produce.  Honeynut squash is a smaller and sweeter relative of butternut squash and actually has more nutrients. Plus, the skin is thinner and easier to peel. 

Ingredients in This Soup:

Honeynut Squash: As mentioned, honeynut squash looks like a mini version of the butternut squash with a much smaller top. The skin is thinner and completely edible, similar to the delicata squash. The first time I cooked with it, I made a gratin, which was delicious. I'm looking forward to simply halving one of these squashes and roasting it in butter and seasonings. 

If you can't find honeynut squash, you can easily substitute butternut, delicata, kabocha, or even pumpkin for this soup. 

More soups that would work well with this honeynut squash include roasted chicken and squash soup, squash and sausage soup, coconut and squash soup, and squash and ginger soup. 

Apple: You will need one apple. It brings more sweetness to this soup and the flavor goes so well with the squash. I used an Envy apple. 

Bacon: After you cook the bacon, simmer half of it in the soup and save the other half for garnish. It adds such a nice smoky flavor. 

Seasonings: Fresh sage, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. I also garnished the soup with cracked Tellicherry pepper. This is optional, but I loved the flavor. 

Low Sodium Chicken Broth: You will need a quart. 

To Make This Soup:

First, cook the bacon in a large saucepan until it's crisp. Set the bacon aside. Do not remove the bacon fat because you will be using it to sauté the squash. 

Next, add the squash to the pot and cook it for a few minutes, letting it brown a bit. Then, add the apple, sage, salt, and pepper and stir everything together. 

After that, add the broth and deglaze the pan. Simmer everything together for just six to eight minutes. 

Finally, blend everything together, including half of the bacon. Serve the soup garnished with the rest of the bacon and a few cracked peppercorns. 

Equipment You May Need:

To puree the soup, you will need either a blender or an immersion blender. If you use a standard blender, be sure to let the soup cool a bit before transferring it. 

I have a lovely Vitamix, which is pretty magical, but I avoid the hassle of getting it out from the cupboard where it resides. Intead I used an immersion blender, which worked really well. It's a little extra work and time making sure you've hit all of the "corners," but it's a lot easier to clean up! Just be sure to use one that is fairly powerful and "pulls" the soup to the spinning blades. 

Tips for Success:

Be sure to cut the squash and the apple into small pieces, about 1/2 inch cubes. This will speed up the cooking process. 

Don't stir the the squash too often as it is sautéeing in the bacon fat so that the squash will begin to brown. This will add extra flavor to the soup. 

Don't skip adding the bacon to the soup mixture. Rest assured, it will blend into the soup and it adds such a smoky flavor. 

"H" is for Honeynut, Hummus, Hazelnut, Hariyali, Hot Fudge, Harissa and More!

As part of the 2026 Alphabet Challenge, we are sharing recipes that begin with "H" or include ingredients or methods that that begin with "H”:

• Blogghetti: 3 Ingredient Hot Fudge Sauce
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Creamy Cilantro Herb Caribbean Potato Salad 
• A Messy Kitchen: Harissa and Brie No Knead Focaccia 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Haluski
• Food Lust People Love: Hazelnut Vodka 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Homemade Chilli Oil 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Honeynut Squash Soup with Apple and Bacon 
• Magical Ingredients: Hot Chocolate Rolls
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Vegetable Hariyali 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Whipped Honey 

Last year (2025) for the letter "H," I made Hurricane Popcorn. It's a treat from Hawaii. For 2024 I made Harissa Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner. It was such a treat! 

Honeynut Squash Soup with Apple and Bacon

Yield: 6 servings

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 45 Min

This honeynut squash soup with apple and bacon is velvety and smoky with sweet notes from the honeynut squash and the apple. 

Ingredients

• 8 slices bacon, cut into 1/4 inch strips
• 2 1/2 pounds honeynut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch dice (about six cups)
• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 quart low sodium chicken broth
• Cracked tellicherry peppers for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. In 5 to 6 quart sauce pan or Dutch oven, cook the bacon until crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
2. Add the squash to the pot and cook it over medium heat for six to seven minutes, stirring ocassionally, until lightly browned.
3. Add the apple, sage, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring two or three times, for four minutes.
4. Add the broth and deglaze the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add half of the bacon.
5. Puree the mixture in a blender or with an immersion blender. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve garnished with the rest of the bacon and optional cracked pepper.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

252

Fat (grams)

13 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

4 g

Carbs (grams)

29 g

Fiber (grams)

5 g

Net carbs

24 g

Sugar (grams)

8 g

Protein (grams)

9 g

Cholesterol (grams)

19 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2026/04/honeynut-squash-soup-with-apple-and.html

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