| Level: | Easy |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 butternut squash (about 4 pounds total)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1 cup diced leeks
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 3/4 cup evaporated skim milk
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- With a sharp knife, prick the squash in several places to allow steam to escape while it cooks
- (otherwise it could burst). Place the squash in a baking dish lined with foil and roast for about 90 minutes, until the squash is soft when you push on it. Let cool for 30 minutes, so it=s easier to handle, then peel, seed, and remove strings. Cut the roasted squash into 1/2-inch pieces, or scoop meat out with a spoon.
- In a heavy soup kettle, heat the olive oil and add the onions. Cook until light golden brown and add the leeks and cumin. Cook for 2 minutes and add the garlic and ginger. When the garlic is fragrant, add the maple syrup, soy sauce, bourbon, sherry and nutmeg. Add the squash and stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook gently for 15 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender), puree the soup until very smooth. Add the evaporated milk, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes; do not bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve in soup plates.
- If you like, garnish this soup with garlic and Parmesan cheese croutons and a dollop of non fat sour cream.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 255 |
| Total Fat | 5 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 38 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 13 g |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Cholesterol | 7 mg |
| Sodium | 1018 mg |
Reviews
This is an excellent bisque! I would have made it exactly as written, however, I work with what I have on hand and didn’t feel like going to the store. These are the changes I made and still had excellent results: peeled and cut the squash and roasted with a little olive oil (easier for me); substituted two carrots and two stalks of celery for the leeks; substituted a dry cabernet for the sherry; used 1 cup half and half instead of the evaporated milk (yes it added fat, yes it made it incredibly rich 🙂 I did add the cornstarch as called for, contrary to others.
Will definitely make this again, the family loves it. I found no need to add the croutons. Just get a nice crusty loaf of bread and some good butter. The depth of flavors in this soup is wonderfully complex.
This might be the best soup I have ever made! I made a few small changes to the basic recipe though. One, I seasoned the squash before roasting with some parsley, paprika, and basil infused olive oil.
Two, I used Irish whiskey.
and three, I cut the ginger in half. It was still a strong flavor.
This became a hearty and filling soup and I will be making it again!
Two, I used Irish whiskey.
and three, I cut the ginger in half. It was still a strong flavor.
This became a hearty and filling soup and I will be making it again!
Yummy..the Bourbon and sherry were great. The cumin was perfect as I was looking for a side dish to go with a Mexican dish and had squash I needed to use up.
Great! No need for cornstac mixed with water. 6 servings. Marie.