Squash Soup topped w/ Cilantro, Crisped Bacon and French Bread w/ Pesto Butter

I'm on my fifth episode of Iron Chef America Marathon this Sunday afternoon when I decided to get out of bed in the middle of watching Battle Tortilla x Tequila. I checked the fridge and quickly did a mental note of all the ingredients and this is what I came up with:

Pureed Squash Soup topped with Crispy Bacon, Cilantro and French Bread with Pesto Butter

I will explain how I cooked the soup without being too specific with the measurement.

• Peel and chop squash into chunks
• Rough chop some garlic and a little bit of ginger
• Heat oil in a pan and saute the garlic, ginger and squash until the squash caramelize
• Pour in some water, add your favorite herb. I added rosemary and some star anise since these two are the only available herb and spice in the kitchen. Season w/ salt and pepper. I actually added some chicken broth cubes
• Boil until the squash chunks are soft.
• Take out star anise (if you incorporated this in your broth). 
• Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth. 
• Reheat then decide if you want the squash soup to be thick, if you want thinner soup base, add more broth or water

Enjoy! :)