Add croutons on top!
It’s icy outside and snow is reaching up to the window sills, time to beat the cold with a big bowl of soup! This quick and fun recipe will tingle the taste buds – plus, it is the perfect recipe candidate if you need to make it ahead of time.
You need:
Stove
Oven
Blender
Big pot
15 minutes preparation
40 minutes cooking
4lbs – Butternut squash, peeled, seeded, roasted, and cut into 1-inch cubes
14 oz – chicken broth
2 tablespoons – butter
1/2 teaspoon – dried thyme and/or basil
1/4 teaspoon – ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon – cayenne pepper (or more, optional)
1 cup – half-and-half
1 tablespoon – fresh lemon juice
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced
4 strips of (thick-cut) bacon, sliced
2 shiitake mushrooms, remove stems and gills
Sour or heavy cream, for serving
Salt and pepper
Paprika, optional garnish
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut squash into quarters. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with a thin layer of oil and add the squash. Roast until tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 30 minutes, rotating pan and tossing the pieces halfway through. While they are roasting, prepare the other ingredients. Let cool, and remove skins.
- In the large pot, fry butter and bacon over medium for 2 minutes. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, herbs, cinnamon, and cayenne. Season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and caramelized (brown on edges), about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add squash, 3 cups water, and broth. Simmer 15-25 minutes. Add half-and-half and simmer 2 more minutes. Let cool.
- Working in batches, puree in a blender until smooth. Put blend back into pot and lightly simmer another 10-15 minutes. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt. Serve bisque with cream, garnished with cayenne and paprika, if desired.
For a vegetarian version of the soup, substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth or water and eliminate the bacon.
