Simple Southwestern-style Squash Soup

The other day, I had a craving for soup. Considering that I'd spent the previous afternoon and evening on a pub crawl, I didn't have much faith in my ability to concoct anything edible, but before I grabbed my ever-growing stack of take-out menus, I decided to put forth a little effort and scan my cabinets to see if I could come up with something simple. I found a box of chicken broth in the cabinet and some cooked pumpkin in the freezer. With some bacon and southwestern-style spices, I could turn these convenient ingredients into a fantastic pureed soup similar to one Bobby Flay served at Mesa Grill!   

While I used pumpkin, any type of cooked winter squash will work with this recipe. You can find frozen squash in the freezer case at most grocery stores; keep some handy and you'll be able to whip up a spectacular soup in under 15 minutes!
　
Southwestern-style Squash Soup

1 T. bacon fat
1 T. cumin seeds, toasted and ground
2 t. chipotle chile flakes
1 small onion, minced
2 cups cooked squash(thawed if frozen), diced
3-4 cups chicken broth
2 t. chili seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil, for garnish
crumbled bacon, for garnish
toasted flax seeds, for garnish

In a large soup pot, melt the bacon fat over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, chipotle flakes, and onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent.

Add the onion and spice mixture to a blender with the pumpkin and the chicken broth. Blend until liquified (depending on the size and strength of your blender, you may have to work in batches). Return the pumpkin blend to the soup pot. Add the chili seasoning, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil.

When soup is ready to serve, ladle it into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon and toasted flax seeds.