Butternut Squash Bisque

Friday, March 2, 2012

A few nights ago I made a butternut squash risotto and found myself with half of a cooked squash left over. I thought about making macaroni and cheese with it but decided instead to make a bisque. This recipe is light, healthy and comes together really quickly (30 minutes or so) if you've already pre-cooked your squash (which is easy... cut it in half, place it in a roasting pan or on a cookie sheet and bake it at 350 degrees for 45 min-1 hour). It's perfect for a cold day and goes great with grilled cheese on sourdough and a side salad.

Butternut Squash Bisque
Ingredients
2- 2 1/2 c. cooked butternut squash, cubed
half of a yellow onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. sage
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
pinch of nutmeg & ginger
1 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
4 c. chicken broth or stock
1/2 c. fat-free half-and-half
low-fat sour cream or cream cheese for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Sprinkle flour over top and mix so that all of the ingredients are coated. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add squash, broth and half-and-half. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, adding sage, thyme, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, nutmeg and ginger. Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes (this will be about the same amount of time if you decide not to pre-cook your squash).
4. Remove from heat and use a ladle to scoop the mixture into a blender (I was able to fit all of mine in one batch). Puree until smooth. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or cream cheese for garnish. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stephen + Natalie | Makes approximately 4-6 servings

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