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Butternut Bisque

Harvest time brings some of Mother Nature's greatest gifts in abundance. If you've ever grown squash, you know how sweet and delicious a fresh-picked butternut can be. And when the temperatures start dropping, there's nothing better than a piping-hot bowl of butternut squash bisque to warm your bones. This recipe calls for roasting the squash, which adds extra sweet nuttiness to the bisque, as well as Madras curry powder, which adds robust warming spice to the creamy soup. And fresh sage can't be beat (don't substitute the dried stuff here!). Garnished with fresh cinnamon whipped cream, this bisque will warm your very soul to the core.

  • Servings 4
  • Dish Starter
  • Time 15 minutes
  • Skill Advanced

Ingredients

Butternut Bisque ingredients

2 2-pound butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
4 fried sage leaves for garnish
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup green apple, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
2 14-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons maple syrup for garnish
Cinnamon whipped cream for garnish
Fresh ground nutmeg for garnish

Parts

Butternut Bisque

Step

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the cut sides of the squash with oil.

Step

Place the squash cut side down on a large rimmed baking sheet.

Step

Roast squash for 1 hour until tender. When done, cool slightly and scoop the roasted squash out into a large bowl. Measure 3 cups of squash and reserve any remaining squash for another use.

Step

Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sage and fry until crisp. Remove the sage and reserve for later use as garnish.

Step

Add onion, carrots and apple and sauté for about 5 minutes.

Step

Add curry powder and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth, bay leaves, and the 3 cups of roasted squash that was previously measured.

Step

Bring to boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour.

Step

When bisque is finished, discard the bay leaves. Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender until smooth. Return the soup to the same pot and stir in the heavy cream. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Step

Rewarm over medium-high heat and garnish the soup with a drizzle of maple syrup, fresh whipped cinnamon cream, fried sage leaves, and fresh ground nutmeg before serving.