Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until translucent and starting to get caramelized. Add the butternut squash, salt, pepper, thyme, paprika, and chili powder, and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chicken broth, pumpkin, and cashews and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to medium to medium-high heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until squash is very tender and is starting to fall apart.

While the soup is simmering, heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Cook for 6-7 minutes or until crispy and golden. Let the bacon drain on paper towels. Pour out most of the bacon fat except for about 2 tablespoons. Add the brussels and arrange them so they are cut side down. Season with a couple pinches of salt. Cook for 5-6 minutes (don't touch them!) until they are crispy and caramelized. Remove from heat.

Once soup is finished cooking, transfer to a blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Be very careful when blending hot liquids. They expand from the steam! Alternately, you can use an immersion blender, but I find that the ultimate creaminess is achieved in the blender!

To serve the soup, top with crispy brussels, bacon, and a sprinkle of the chopped cashews.