Pages

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Butternut Bisque

Is it possible that Butternut Bisque could sound better than it tastes?  Yes, I believe so.  Smooth, light, buttery, nutty, sweet, ... Inspired by the season I decided to try my hand at this classic soup.  In the end I modified a recipe from Simply in Season, a fabulous staple cookbook to have on hand.

The Recipe:

  • 1 onion
  • 2 T butter
  • 1 Apple
  • 1 (large) butternut squash
  • 2-3 C chicken stock
  • 2 T maple syrup
  • 1 C milk/coconut milk/yoghurt (I used dilute coconut milk)
  • salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

  • Cut up onion and saute it in the butter while you chop up the apple and squash.  As you finish chopping, add them to the pot.  
  • Then add 2 c. Chicken broth + 1 c. water (or some combination of liquid which almost covers the vegetables) and cook, covered, until soft.  I went and did some fall gardening while this was happening, but I think it took around half an hour.
  • Puree with an immersion blender, or transfer in small batches to food processor or blender and puree until smooth.  Really smooth (or to your personal preference).
  • Add the maple syrup, milk, and salt and continue to puree or stir.
  • Remember to serve in bowls before you accidentally eat the whole thing out of the pot!
If you like, you can toast the seeds from the squash and use them as a garnish.  One nifty trick is to dunk all the innards of the squash in a bowl of water, and work with your hands.  The seeds will then float to the top, making them easy to remove.