It’s starting to snow today, heralding in winter up north. I usually make soup for the week all winter. I have a butternut squash in the pantry, one of the last things I bought at the farmers’ market. Squash soup is an option.
Jump to RecipeNormally, I just make a spiced squash soup – warm spices, some stock. I wanted something a little different today. I got out my trusty copy of The Ultimate Soup Cookbook. I’ve had this cookbook for over 20 years, and it’s my go-to for soup ideas.
There are several options under “Soup, Butternut Squash”. The one I usually make, but also one for Bisque. Intrigued, I went to the page to see what made it different.
This soup wasn’t just squash; it also had carrots, leeks, celery (more veggies!), and a couple of chile peppers. We’re not much for really spicy food, so I cut the chili back to one-half of one chile, seeded and de-veined to take out the hottest parts. I wanted the warmth of a chili, without the bisque being spicy. I modified the spices a bit, and the amount of cream.
Everything about this bisque is simple. The hardest part was peeling the squash. I had a really large butternut, so I only used half, a little over 2 pounds, or 6-7 cups of cubed squash. The carrots I didn’t peel, just scrubbed well. A quick chop of celery, split the leek in half, washed, then chopped, and everything was ready to go.
Melt the butter, and add the celery, leek, and chile pepper. Sauté to soften. Add the carrots, stir, and give it a couple of minutes. Add the squash, broth, Better Than Bouillon, and seasonings. Seems like I add Better Than Bouillon to everything! It helps add more flavor, and you only need a little.
Add water if needed to cover the squash, pop on a lid, and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes. I let it go for 45 minutes. I wanted all the veggies to be really soft so they would blend well.
To smooth it into bisque, I used a stick immersion blender. It’s easy and no transferring the hot soup to a blender or food processor. If there is no stick blender in your kitchen, use what you’ve got. Just be really careful, as the broth and squash are quite hot. Maybe let it cool down a bit if you need to transfer it back and forth. And only blend half or a third at once. Do it in stages, trust me.
Once the soup has been blended and returned to the pot, add the cream (or half-and-half if you want to cut calories). Stir it through. I started with half a cup, but it wasn’t enough for me. I added at least a cup of cream. I wanted my bisque to be thick, but not too thick. Make it to suit your fancy.
Lastly, importantly, taste before you serve. Readjust the seasoning (salt and pepper) to taste. I ended up sprinkling in 1/4 tsp of nutmeg. Cinnamon is traditionally used in a squash soup. Use whatever you like. Even some crushed herbs like thyme would be great.
The nutmeg added a hint of spice, and the chile some warmth at the back of my throat, without being spicy hot. The carrots added sweetness. Celery added extra vitamins and fiber. The cream made the bisque silky. It was really good!
Rewarm if needed, or refrigerate and reheat later. Heat over low heat, and do not let it boil!
To serve, sprinkle with oyster crackers, croutons, or a few gratings of Parmesan cheese.
Butternut Bisque
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 medium carrots sliced
- 2 celery stalks including leaves, chopped
- 2 medium leeks sliced in half rounds
- 1/2 chili pepper seeds and veins removed (jalapeno, etc)
- 2 pounds butternut squash seeded, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 qt chicken broth
- 1 tsp Chicken Better than Bouillon
- ½ tsp Onion Better than Bouillon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ – 1 cup heavy cream or half n half
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- Water as needed
Instructions
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In a Dutch oven over low heat, melt the butter. Add celery, leeks, and chili pepper. Sauté and stir for a few minutes until the celery and leeks start to soften.
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Add the carrots, and stir. Continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes.
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Add the squash, chicken stock, Better than Bouillon, ginger, salt and pepper, and enough water to cover the squash. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 40 minutes until the squash is very soft.
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If using an inversion stick blender, blend in the pot, being careful not to splash any bisque. If using a blender or food processor, let the soup cool slightly and blend it in half at a time. Return it to the Dutch oven. Blend until very smooth and velvety with any method.
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Add in ½ cup of cream or half n half. Stir and judge consistency. Add more cream to your taste. Do not boil. Reheat over low if needed.
