Steve’s Butternut Squash Bisque

Charting Course ^ | 12/2/2014 | Steve Berman

[lifeofgrace]

Okay, I like to cook.  I made this butternut squash bisque for Thanksgiving, and took it to my in-laws, where we devoured it and fought for the leftovers.  It's so good, I made it again, wrote down all the ingredients, remeasured everything, and made it into a real recipe.

Here it is so you can try it.

Makes about 8-10 servings.  It will take you a good hour or two to make this.

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash – peeled, seeded and cut into ½” cubes (6 cups)

3 med yellow squash (4 if they are small) – seeded and cut into ½” cubes (3 ½ cups)

2 cups coarse chopped celery

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp celery salt

½ cup buttermilk

1 ½ cup whole milk or 1 cup whole milk and ½ cup heavy cream (optional)

 

Spice mix:

½ cup light brown sugar (packed)

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground clove

½ tsp garlic powder

pinch allspice

pinch red pepper (optional)

 

Peel & seed butternut squash

cut off and discard top and bottom stems

cut in half where bulbous and cylinder meet,

cut skin with knife deep enough to see orange flesh

cut pieces lengthwise in half, use grapefruit spoon to scoop all seeds and pulp Peel & seed yellow squash

cut off and discard top and bottom stems

cut lengthwise in half, use grapefruit speed to scoop out seeds Cut all squash into ½” cubes and set aside in a bowl

Heat a 6 quart pot to medium and add butter until melted

Add celery and celery salt, turn down heat to low, cook 5 min until tender

Add squash and spice mix, turn up heat to medium

Cook until squash mixture is completely soft (even a bit mushy), about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes

Remove from heat, use blender to reduce to creamy consistency (about like baby food), complete in multiple batches if necessary (don’t overfill blender)

Return mixture to pot on low heat

Add buttermilk, milk (or milk and cream) mixture, stir in to finish

Heat through and serve

[Manic_Episode]

bfl

[9YearLurker]

I don’t really run into that much, but I’m in a part of the country, the Northeast, that doesn’t cook with as much sugar as, say, the South or the Midwest. I see you’re in CA, but I take it not SF or LA?

[9YearLurker]

PS I do find national restaurant chains (e.g., Ruth’s Chris) will load up a winter squash side dish, for example, to a cloying sweetness; so I’d expect they may do the same with their bisques.

[Bullish]

I’m very near LA. I love savory soup.... Not sweet.