Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Soup healthy and hearty meal

FARGO — Here’s a culinary confession: I have never been a fan of butternut squash.

I know this is an unpopular opinion, but it’s true. I don’t mean to be picky — my dislike extends to any variety of squash — tennis, acorn, crookneck, even pumpkin. There is something about the texture of squash that just doesn’t appeal to me. However, when liquefied into a soup, everything changes.

In this week’s recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Soup, this once squishy, stringy vegetable transforms into one of the most delicious flavors I have ever experienced. The squash tastes rich and supple, offering a wonderfully lush and velvety texture.

Instead of being put off, my senses are heightened by the gentle spices that blend harmoniously with the squash’s buttery nature, including cinnamon,