Silky mouthfeel, lots of anti-oxidants and even better when topped with crunchy garnishes. This is a great soup to make in a batch on a weekend morning…enjoy the rich and sweet textures all week long! (It’s also a very economical base for weekday lunches that has nutritional punch!)
Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3-4 cups cooked squash; you can use acorn, butternut, or other firm-bodied squash
- 4-6 oz creme fraiche, or plain yogurt (creme fraiche adds more richness, but yogurt is lower calorie option)
- 1-2 tbs maple syrup
- 2-3 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp allspice
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1 cup chicken stock (can be omitted if desired)
- 1-2 sauteed shallots
- 3/4 cup toasted pecans or pepitas (for garnish)
Cooking Instructions:
- Cut squash in half, place on foil-lined baking sheet
- Brush squash with syrup and oil; sprinkle salt/pepper over flesh
- Bake in preheated 350 degree over for ~45 minutes until fork-tender
- Saute spices and shallot until the vegetable is translucent
- Once the squash is cooked and cooled (so it is easily handled), scoop out flesh, place in blender and add creme fraiche (reserve some for garnishing bowls), shallots and stock. Blend until smooth in texture; if you prefer a more textured soup, try pulsing blender to mix, but not puree.
- Toast pecan pieces in 300 degree over for about 5 minutes (test — you may want a softer, or a crispier texture and the nuts can burn easily, so you’ll need to stay close to your oven!)
- Add bisque to bowls and garnish with a swirl of creme fraiche and the toasted pecans, or pepitas