Squash and Root Vegetable Bisque
By Beth Jones
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. winter squash, any variety, washed well and left unpeeled and whole
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 large onion, large dice
- 2 carrots, large dice
- 2 parsnips, peeled and large dice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup white wine, or dry sherry
- 2 cups full fat coconut milk
- 1 quart (4 cups) vegetable stock
- ¼ teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup from Horner’s Corner
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425. Place the whole squash on a cookie sheet and roast for 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours, or until a fork can easily pierce through to the center. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1 hour. Once cooled, peel the squash, and remove the seeds.
In a large Dutch oven, heat the sesame oil over medium high heat and sauté the onion until nicely brown and caramelized. Add the peeled squash and remaining vegetables, and sauté another 3 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the wine, then add the coconut milk, stock, herbs, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the diced vegetables are soft enough to mash with the back of a spoon.
Puree the soup in a high powered blender, food processor or with an immersion blender. (If using a regular blender, make sure to remove the vent in the lid. Pureeing hot liquid with the lid completely closed can cause the liquid to explode out of the blender!) Pour the soup back into the Dutch oven and thin if necessary with more stock. Season to taste with more salt, pepper or maple syrup.
