Recipe: Butternut Squash Apple Bisque

This roasted butternut squash apple bisque is nourishing, hearty, and warming. Serve with whole grain rolls and a green salad for an easy weekday meal. Or blend up a batch as a healthy soup alternative for special occasions. Consider doubling the recipe, as you’ll want leftovers to serve the next day—or to freeze for future meals.

Prep time: Approximately 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Total time: Approximately 1 hour, 20 minutes
Serves: 6
Serving size: Approximately 2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (approximately 6 cups)
• 2 sweet apples (i.e., Honeycrisp, McIntosh, or Golden Delicious), cored and sliced
• 2 Vidalia sweet onions, chopped
• Optional: 1 serrano (or jalapeño) pepper, blistered over flame, seeded and membrane removed
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon, plus more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, plus more to taste
• 32 ounces low-sodium vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried sage
• ¼ cup water (if needed)
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

For serving:

• 2 tablespoons reduced fat sour cream
• 3 teaspoons raw, shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper (for easy cleanup) and coat with extra virgin olive oil. Spread butternut squash, apple, onion, and serrano pepper on the sheet pan evenly. Season with salt, cinnamon, black pepper, and nutmeg. Toss to combine. Place sheet pan in the oven for 45-50 minutes, until the veggies and apples begin to caramelize, stirring halfway through cooking time.

Place squash mixture into a high-speed blender or food processor with vegetable stock. Carefully (contents are hot!) puree until smooth. You may need to do this in batches. (Alternatively, add squash mixture to a large stockpot and puree with the vegetable stock using an immersion blender.)

Pour squash mixture into a large stockpot, add sage and water (if you used a food processor or blender, you can add the water to the empty vessel to rinse it and collect any remaining puree, then pour into stockpot). Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until soup thickens, about 20 minutes.

Stir in maple syrup and add additional black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg to taste. Remove from heat.

Ladle into bowls and garnish each with a teaspoon of sour cream. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and serve.

MOBE kitchen tips:

• To peel butternut squash, first cut off the ends with a sharp knife so that you have a flat surface on both ends. Then, stand the squash upright and peel in downward strokes using a sharp vegetable peeler. Slice the squash in half and remove the seeds. Cut the halves into slices, then into cubes.
• To save time, purchase pre-peeled and cubed butternut squash.

Recipe notes:

• To blister the serrano pepper, you can either do it over an open flame on a gas stove, use a culinary blow torch, or roast it in the oven. Cook at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes.

Nutrition facts per serving

Calories: 170 / Total Fat: 6g (8% DV) / Saturated Fat: 1g (5% DV) / Trans Fat: 0g / Cholesterol: 0mg (0% DV) / Sodium: 1010mg (44% DV) / Total Carbohydrate: 28g (10% DV) / Dietary Fiber: 4g (14% DV) / Total Sugars: 15g / Added Sugar: 4g (8% DV) / Protein: 3g / Vitamin D: 0mcg (0% DV) / Calcium: 65mg (6% DV) / Iron: 1mg (6% DV) / Potassium: 582mg (10% DV)

Allergen statement: Contains milk. For those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, make sure you are choosing a gluten-free vegetable stock.

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