Creamy Butternut Squash Bisque Recipe
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Nov 22, 2024 • 3 min read
Learn how to make butternut squash bisque, a velvety, decadent butternut squash soup. This vegetarian soup is the ultimate weeknight comfort food.
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What Is Butternut Squash Bisque?
Butternut bisque is a creamy winter squash soup that pairs nutty, fragrant butternut squash with heavy cream. Butternut squash is high in fiber, potassium, manganese, and antioxidants. It also has an extremely high vitamin A content, as well as loads of vitamin C. Combine all that with a low calorie count, butternut squash is the perfect filling and warming vegetable to have at your dinner table all winter long.
Traditional French bisque recipes feature seafood like lobster, crayfish, shrimp, or crab as the main ingredient. Still, modern bisques may use puréed vegetables or aromatics in place of shellfish and thicken the base with rice or other starches. Other key ingredients of bisque soups are heavy cream and white wine. A popular theory for the name “bisque” is that it comes from the French words “bis” and “cuite,” which roughly translates to “twice-cooked,” a reference to the soup’s two-stage cooking process.
4 Tips for Making Butternut Squash Bisque
Follow these tips to adapt a traditional butternut squash bisque recipe to your taste:
- 1. Make it spicy. To give your butternut squash soup recipe a bit of a kick, add a spoonful of minced Calabrian chiles or a teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- 2. Thicken the soup. Adding a few tablespoons of all-purpose flour directly to the cooked mirepoix vegetables and their liquid create what’s known as a slurry, a thickening agent similar to a classic roux. Replace flour with a cornstarch slurry for gluten-free soups and stews.
- 3. Make it dairy-free. Swap the heavy cream for full-fat coconut milk if you enjoy a hint of coconut flavor.
- 4. Try another squash. Swap butternut squash for other winter squash, such as kabocha. You can also use pumpkin or sweet potato in place of squash.
Hearty Butternut Squash Bisque Recipe
makes
prep time
15 mintotal time
45 mincook time
30 minIngredients
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the center.
- 2
On a rimmed baking sheet, roast the pepitas until golden brown, about 7 minutes.
- 3
In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter.
- 4
Add the butternut squash, onion, celery, carrots, garlic and a pinch of salt and sauté, occasionally stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 6 minutes.
- 5
Add the flour and cook, constantly stirring, until the flour is lightly golden brown and smells nutty, 1–2 minutes (it will still be much lighter than a roux).
- 6
Add the tomato paste, cayenne, and nutmeg and cook, frequently stirring, until the tomato paste is darkened in color, about 2 minutes.
- 7
Add the wine, scraping any browned aromatics on the bottom of the pot. Simmer, occasionally stirring, until the wine is reduced by half.
- 8
Reduce to low heat and add thyme sprigs, a few cracks of black pepper, maple syrup, and vegetable broth. Simmer, occasionally stirring, until flavors meld, 25–30 minutes.
- 9
Discard the thyme sprigs.
- 10
Using an immersion blender, puree the bisque until entirely smooth. (Alternatively, blend in a blender or food processor, working in batches as needed, and then return to the pot.) Strain, if desired.
- 11
Return the bisque to low heat and stir in heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- 12
Divide among 4 soup bowls. Dollop with sour cream, if using. Garnish with chives, pepitas, and sage. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a few cracks of black pepper.
- 13
Soup can be made ahead and refrigerated. The milk solids may separate, but they will come together when you reheat the vegetable soup.
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