After letting the bone broth simmer on my stove for 24 hours, I was desperate for a bowl of soup. I love the way that a rich simmering soup started with bacon and butter brings the house to life, and how a soup full of layers of complex flavors can turn a cold, drab, rainy day into something special. Add in some crusty bread and a bottle of wine and you’ll have the perfect fall evening.

My first soup of the year is always this one. A hearty soup that begins with bacon and includes enough garlic to ward off the worst of colds, healing bone broth, and my seasonal favorite butternut squash, this soup belongs in a world with red leaves and knee boots and cardamom spiced everything.

Black Bean & Butternut Squash Soup

1 lb dried black beans
1 lb thick cut bacon
1/2 stick salted butter
1 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
6 cups bone broth
2 cups diced tomatoes
2 cups fresh cubed butternut squash
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup fresh kale
1 tsp paprika
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Soak beans overnight in a bowl, covered with a towel.

In a soup pot cook half of the bacon, diced. Add in minced garlic, chopped onion, and butter. Drain and rinse beans, and add to pot, along with bone broth and seasoning. Simmer 1 hour or until beans have softened. Add in tomatoes and kale. Simmer an additional hour, tasting frequently and adding salt as needed.

Heat oven to 425. Toss squash in oil and salt and roast for 20-25 minutes. As the squash is roasting, cook remaining bacon. Stir most of the squash into the soup, reserving some for garnish. Stir in apple cider vinegar.

Serve soup hot topped with squash and crispy bacon.