• Wash and dry produce. • Heat a medium dry pot (large pot for 4 servings) over medium-high heat. Add bacon; cook, turning occasionally and adjusting heat if browning too quickly, until crispy, 6-10 minutes. Turn off heat; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Reserve bacon fat in pot for use in Step 3. • Once bacon is cool enough to handle, roughly chop.

• While bacon cooks, peel and dice sweet potato into 1-inch pieces. Halve, peel, and thinly slice onion. Pick thyme leaves from stems; roughly chop leaves. Thinly slice chives.

• In pot with bacon fat, melt 2 TBSP butter(4 TBSP for 4 servings) over medium-high heat. Add onion, sweet potato, squash, and thyme. Season with 1 tsp salt (1 1⁄2 tsp for 4) and a big pinch of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies begin to soften, 4-5 minutes (be sure to scrape up any yummy brown bits stuck to the bottom of pan). • Stir in 1 1⁄4 cups water(2 1⁄2 cups for 4), milk, stock concentrates, and Vidalia onion paste to pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Cover and cook until veggies are tender, stirring occasionally, 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat. (If it looks like milk has curdled, don’t fret! It will all get blended and the soup will be delicious. Trust the process!)

• Halve and toast baguette. • Spread half the roasted garlic herb butter on cut sides (remaining butter will be blended into soup, so don’t use it all here!). Halve on a diagonal.

• Once veggies are tender, carefully transfer soup to a blender (or food processor). TIP: If you have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup right in the pot! • Add half the crème fraîche and remaining roasted garlic herb butter and blend soup until mixture is smooth, 60-90 seconds (if necessary, pause and scrape any bits of veggie back down and continue blending). TIP: To blend hot soup safely, work in batches if needed, filling blender only halfway. To blend, remove center cap from blender lid, secure lid on blender, and hold a folded kitchen towel over the lid to allow steam to escape and protect yourself from splatters. • If soup seems too thick, stir in water a splash at a time until desired consistency is reached. Carefully (it’s hot!) taste and season with additional salt or pepper if desired.

• Divide soup between bowls; top with a dollop of remaining crème fraîche. Scatter bacon, wonton strips, and chives over top. Serve with garlic bread. ***Pork is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 145°.***