Butternut Bisque

From Sarah Voiland, 2014.

Roasting squash this way is awesome and worth doing in and of itself. Or you can make soup. Or you can make a lot of squash this way, eat some fresh out the oven, and make soup with leftovers the next day. 

1 med-large Butternut Squash
sprigs from 1 bunch thyme, or dried thyme
1 med-large yellow onion, large diced
1 head or 6 or so cloves garlic, peeled
olive oil
4 cups vegetable stock or water
other vegetables to roast if desired
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375.
Slice squash in half lengthwise and scoop the seeds out of the cup. Put 2-4 cloves of garlic in each cup and a few sprigs of thyme. Sprinkle cut surface of squash with salt and pepper. Brush oil onto baking pan, and lay squash cut side down, keeping thyme and garlic inside the cup, and maybe a sprig or two of thyme laying under the long part of the squash. Roast squash until a fork goes in very easily. 

In the nooks of your pan you can put other vegetables on to roast, like carrots, potatoes, turnips, onions, whatever you have and like to roast. These can be great additions to the soup or garnishes for the top.

Let your squash cool a little bit. Taste some of it now too. Here is where you can abandon the soup idea if desired. Or if you double or triple the squash baking, have it roasted one night and make the soup the next.

Brown your chopped onions in olive oil. Then scoop the squash out of the skins and into the pan with onions to brown a bit too. (Save those squash skins and thyme twigs for making stock in a bag in your freezer). Chop up the roasted garlic (if not pureeing) and add. Stir in the stock or water. Heat and season with salt and pepper and more olive oil if desired.

We tend to not puree our soups, as it adds another step to cleaning, and having distinct chunks of different flavors is one of the joys of a spoonful. If you like the super smooth texture, go for it. Roasted butternut makes a nice creamy base even without pureeing.

I’ve had fun slicing up the other roasted vegetables to put on as garnish at the end, but you could mix them into the soup too.

Ladle into bowls and dress up with a sprig of thyme or any garnishes you have. Serve with hearty toasty bread and green salad.