Butternut Bisque

Cooking for a Crowd, Recipes, Weekend Cooking
butternut squash bisque
butternut squash bisque

Photo: Leigh Loftus

Last week I came home from work and found that I had placed a container of half-and-half in the microwave. A few days later, I couldn’t find the aluminum foil that I typically store in my pots and pans cabinet only to locate it later on top of the baking stone in my oven (uncooked, thankfully).

Sometimes I can be forgetful. I lose my keys once a week, at minimum, although I often find them stuck between two couch cushions or better yet, hanging from the lock outside my door. These incidents don’t happen often, but when I’m busy or preoccupied it isn’t uncommon for me to get lost in thought and suddenly realize that I’m about to decorate my toothbrush with Neutrogena facial cleaner rather than toothpaste.

My occasional memory lapses make me appreciate simple recipes. At the end of a long day, I don’t want to have to Google an ingredient or look up the best way to cut a certain vegetale while I’m making dinner. Cooking is always a learning experience, but there are times when you just want dinner now without doing too much extra thinking.

This butternut squash bisque from Everyday Food takes less than forty-five minutes and you can shave even more time from the total if you use peeled, pre-cubed butternut squash.

butternut squash bisque

Photo: Leigh Loftus

Butternut Squash Bisque
Author: 
Recipe type: Cooking for a Crowd, Weekend Cooking
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12
 
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • coarse salt
  • I large butternut squash (about 4 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • sour cream or goat cheese, for serving
Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add onion, thyme, garlic, cinnamon and cayenne. Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
  2. Add squash, broth, half-and-half and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.
  3. Working in batches, puree in a blender until smooth. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt. Serve bisque with sour cream or goat cheese and garnish with cayenne pepper, if desired.

  4. NOTE: If you don't have 12 mouths to feed you can freeze this soup easily. Ladle cooled bisque (without cheese or sour cream) into an airtight container leaving one inch of space at the top. Freeze for up to three months. When you're ready to reheat, run container under hot water to release bisque. Heat with a bit of water, stirring occasionally.
 

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10 Comments

  • Reply
    A Guide to Healthy Fall and Winter Squash
    October 4, 2011 at 9:57 am

    […] and cubed in small pieces for ease of use. Use banana squash in place of butternut in your favorite butternut squash soup recipe or serve it roasted with a touch of olive oil, salt, pepper and your favorite […]

  • Reply
    A November to Remember…or Forget
    February 3, 2011 at 4:09 am

    […] Butternut Bisque […]

  • Reply
    Dana
    November 8, 2009 at 11:43 am

    Glad to read I’m not the only one who does crazy forgetful things. I put face wash in my hair yesterday.

  • Reply
    Cate O'Malley
    November 6, 2009 at 11:19 am

    I totally hear you on the absentmindedness. Usually it’s my cell phone, because one of the kids has made off with it. This soup looks perfect for the chilly weather we’ve been having lately.

  • Reply
    Kerstin
    November 5, 2009 at 11:49 pm

    My hubby once found the lid of our food processor in the garbage – ooops…
    Looks like a very lovely and tasty soup!

  • Reply
    Christina
    November 5, 2009 at 10:00 pm

    I can be just as absentminded some times. I ALWAYS lose my keys! Definitely trying this one 🙂 It’s soup season!

  • Reply
    Daryl
    November 5, 2009 at 9:19 pm

    looks really good I love soup-any soup-b ut this looks especially good and healthy too.

  • Reply
    Nutmeg Nanny
    November 5, 2009 at 7:51 pm

    Mmmmmm this looks great! I love simple recipes 🙂 I had to laugh when you said you put your foil in the oven…I’m always finding myself doing things like that:)

  • Reply
    Kalyn
    November 5, 2009 at 6:30 pm

    I just got a package in the mail! Thank you so much for the Za’atar. Can’t wait to try it; you are so sweet to think of me.
    Too bad I don’t have a bowl of this soup, because I’d definitely try sprinkling it on that!

  • Reply
    VeggieGirl
    November 5, 2009 at 6:09 pm

    So comforting!

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