Slow Cooker Red Kuri Squash Soup with Bacon and Comté Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Prepare your ingredients by peeling, seeding, and dicing the red kuri squash into 1-inch cubes. Peel and slice the yellow onion thinly to ensure it softens effectively during the slow cooking phase.

Have your bacon lardons, vegetable bouillon, and water ready to assemble directly in the slow cooker bowl.

Instructions

Layering

1. 1Layer the ingredients
   Place the bacon lardons at the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the diced red kuri squash and sliced onions on top, then sprinkle the crumbled vegetable bouillon cube over the vegetables.
   Look for Ingredients should be layered evenly in the cooker.
   Tip Keep the squash pieces uniform in size to ensure they cook through at the same rate.

Ensure the bacon is placed at the very bottom so it renders efficiently. The vegetables should be evenly distributed to allow for uniform heat penetration throughout the entire cooking cycle.

Slow Cooking

2. 2Simmer the soup
   Pour the water over the layered ingredients. Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook on the low setting for approximately 4 to 6 hours, or until the squash is completely tender and breaks apart easily with a fork.
   Look for The squash should be soft enough to mash with a fork.
   Tip Avoid opening the lid frequently during cooking to maintain a consistent temperature.

The soup is ready when the squash has completely collapsed into the liquid and offers zero resistance when tested.

The entire kitchen should smell savory, sweet, and gently smoky from the slow simmer of bacon lardons, onions, and dissolving bouillon.

Blending

3. 3Blend and serve
   Once the squash is tender, use an immersion blender to puree the soup directly in the slow cooker until smooth and velvety. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with shaved Comté cheese before serving.
   Look for The soup should be thick, glossy, and uniform in texture.
   Tip If the soup is too thick, add small amounts of hot water or broth to reach the desired consistency.

The blended soup must appear perfectly silky, completely free of vegetable chunks, and take on a rich, glossy, bright orange tone. It should be hot enough to melt fine shavings of Comté cheese immediately upon contact in the bowl.

Common mistakes

Avoid overcrowding the slow cooker with ingredients that are not fully submerged, as this can lead to uneven cooking.

Do not rush the blending process; ensure the soup is completely smooth to achieve the signature luxurious mouthfeel. Finally, avoid over-salting before cooking, as bacon and bouillon can be quite salty on their own.

How to tell it’s done

The soup is ready when the squash is completely tender, yielding easily to the pressure of a fork.

The liquid should be thickened by the starch of the squash, creating a rich, velvety velouté consistency. There is no protein to test for temperature in this recipe.