Georgia Candy Roaster Soup with Beans, Collards, and Bacon is a Southern take on Italian winter home cooking — Pumpkin and White Bean Soup (Zuppa di zucca e fagioli bianchi). Georgia Candy Roaster squash (aka North Georgia Candy Roasters or just Candy Roasters) is a variety cultivated by the Cherokee people in the southern Appalachian Mountains in the 1800s. It is now listed by the Cherokee Nation and Slow Food USA as an heirloom crop. The variety offers a unique winter squash taste. It is sweeter than most squash, hence the name.
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The Georgia Candy Roasters are substituted for the Italian pumpkin. In addition to the sweetness, they have a somewhat mild taste. To offset this, I added the stronger taste of collards; as opposed to chard you might find in an Italian soup. The collards offset the squash well without overwhelming it. Bacon is the obvious Southern substitute for pancetta. I further enhanced it by adding a Parmigiano Reggiano rind (or a hunk of Parmesan will do). The result is delicious.
You will find this unusual addition to the Southern food heritage in your fall markets. They store well for, up to six months, if you want to buy a few. They actually sweeten as they age.
Kitchen Notes
Preparing the Roasters
Start by removing the rind from the roaster. A vegetable peeler will work. Start by cutting off the ends of the roasters. Then scrape away anything green. Lastly, split open and remove the seeds and the fibrous tough stringy flesh connected to the seeds.
White Beans
Any type of white beans will work. They need to be precooked. (Note: if I can, I slightly undercook them and finish the beans in the soup.) Cannellini is the common Italian style. In the soup photographed here, I used fresh October beans; large and flavorful. I prefer fresh beans when available, but dried beans or canned beans work.
Staging the Cooking
When making a soup I would prefer to put everything in the pot and walk away, but in this case the ingredients do not agree to my schedule. The collards need about 30 minutes of cooking, the squash about 15, and the cooked beans about 5. This is solved by simply staging them and returning the pot to a simmer each time.
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Georgia Candy Roaster Soup with Beans, Collards and Bacon
Southern Adaption of an Italian Classic
Ingredients
- 3 lb Georgia Candy Roaster (should give about 2 lbs of squash)
- ~ 10 medium to large collard greens leaves, washed, stemmed and chopped
- olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion minced
- 1/2 pound bacon, chopped
- Parmigiano Reggiano rind (see note) or grated parmigiano to taste
- 3 cups of cooked fresh white beans with liquid (or 2- 14 ounce cans)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel the Candy Roaster with a vegetable peeler. Split the squash and remove the seeds and the attached fibrous strings. Cube the squash into bite-sized chunks. Cover and set aside.
- In a Dutch oven, start browning the bacon with a little olive oil over low-medium, to crisp and release fat . After a bit of fat is released, about 3-5 minutes, add the onion and garlic. Continue to brown slowly until onions and garlic begin to color. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Add a bit of water to the pot to dissolve the fond at the bottom. Heat to a simmer.
- Add the cut collards to the Dutch oven with enough salted water to cover. Add the Parmigiano rind, if using. Increase heat to bring to a simmer. When the simmering starts, reduce the heat and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Add the cut squash. Again add water to cover, and salt as needed. Increase the heat to bring it to a simmer. When the simmering starts, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 more minutes.
- Remove the Parmigiano rind, unless you want a stronger taste.
- Add the beans and cook for 5 minutes.
- Check all ingredients for doneness and salt and pepper as necessary.
- The soup is better if you let it rest for an hour or so in the pot. To serve, reheat and serve with crusty bread.
Notes
If you do not have a Parmigiano Reggiano rind, use a chunk of Parmigiano or grate some on top as you serve.
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 415Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 19mgSodium 250mgCarbohydrates 62gFiber 4gSugar 36gProtein 11g
Calculated Nutrition is estimated.
When do you add the rind? how much Parmesan Reggiano do you add if you don’t have a rind?
I have clarified in the recipe. The squash is sweet so, I prefer a stonger taste of the Parmesan, so I add it earlier (when starting the collards). But you can add it later with the squash if you desire. As far as grated Parmesan, it is to taste. Again, I really like the taste of the Parmesan. — so I do a good bit.