A little bisque is good for the soul

Today we have the first recipe in the Fall Flavors series I talked a little about last week. Over the years I’ve made several different types of bisques, but this is the first time that I’ve ever done one with butternut squash.

As with most recipes that I’ve posted here, I did some research looking for different formulations and put my own spin on the different recipes I discovered. I had originally planned on going with a straight butternut squash base, but after reading several different recipes I really liked the idea of adding apples into the mix.

Truth be told, I’m not terribly fond of butternut squash, so all of these recipes are things that I’ve created because my wife enjoys them. However, after finishing this soup I found that the apples really brought the bisque to a whole different level in terms of flavor. Not only was it lighter compared to other bisques, but it very crisp and bright.

All in all the finish product came out excellent and this definitely will be added to the rotation.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Bisque

Hardware

• Dutch oven or large stock pot
• Blender or immersion blender
• Measuring cups and spoons, wooden spoon

Software

4 cups roasted butternut squash (see link for recipe)
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups chicken stock (or cold water)
1 cinnamon stick
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/2 cup heavy cream (or half and half)

Assemblage

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven
• Add onions and saute for three to five minutes, or until translucent
• Add the celery and carrot and saute for another three to five minutes
• Add apples, orange zest. pulp from vanilla bean, ginger, nutmeg, salt and pepper
• Add chicken stock (or cold water) and bring to a boil
• Add cinnamon stick, vanilla bean and roasted butternut squash
• Reduce heat, cover and cook for approximately 35 to 40 minutes
• Turn off the heat, remove cinnamon stick and vanilla bean, then transfer to a blender in batches or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth
• Add the heavy cream and stir to combine
• Taste soup and adjust seasoning, if necessary

Presentation

Normally, when I make a bisque I substitute half of the heavy cream that recipes normally call for with an equal measure of mascarpone cheese. To me anyway, it makes the soup creamier and gives it a different finish. However, this time I wanted to do something different. I still only used half the heavy cream to make it a little lighter, but rather than incorporate the mascarpone cheese into the soup I made a cinnamon scented mascarpone sauce that I drizzled on the soup as a garnish.

Cinnamon Scented Mascarpone Sauce

• 1/2 container mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. soften the mascarpone
2. add the milk a little at a time until you achieve the consistency you desire (I shot for a slightly thick pancake batter consistency
3. stir in the cinnamon

If you’re interested in seeing how I made the roasted butternut squash and apple bisque, you can check out the video I made over at peaches en risotto.

Tagged as: Butternut squash, Cook, Fruit and Vegetable, Home, Soups and Stews