Butternut Veggie Bisque

       Butternut Veggie Bisque 

      Butternut Veggie Bisque 

This thick,warm and creamy butternut Veggie Bisque is simply delicious. It's the perfect fix for a rainy or cool day as a main dish, side or appetizer. Also makes a great addition to your traditional holiday meals, with it's warm earthy but nutty flavor. 

This butternut veggie bisque is healthy, low in calories ( only 116 calories per serving), gluten-free, high fiber, packed full of vitamins and minerals, vegan friendly and budget friendly. A one pot delight with simple and easy cleanup.

This is an easy one pot soup recipe. It takes approximately two and a half hours of cooking and prep time. You'll need one stock pot, instant pot or Crock-Pot and your choice of either a blender or mixer to get the creamy texture.

Ingredients:

* 4 / 5 cups of raw butternut squash peeled,deseeded and diced.

* 4 garlic cloves diced.

* 1/2 cup of chopped onion.

* 1 1/2 inch ginger root peeled and finally chopped.

* 3/4 cup chopped celery.

* 3/4 cup chopped carrots.

* 1tsp of olive oil.

* 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and diced. (You can also use russet potatoes peeled and diced instead of sweet potatoes. I prefer the sweet potatoes because they add a nice sweet earthy flavor.)

* 1 1/2 cup chopped raw or frozen cauliflower. 

* 4 cups vegetable stock.

* 1/4 cup light maple syrup.

* 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

*1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper. (Adjust to taste: little less for milder  flavor or a little more for  hot and spicie.)

*A pinch of cinnamon.

Makes about 6 to 8 servings.

Cooking instructions:

So let's get started, first we need to peel and deseed and diced the butternut squash. The outter skin is thick and tough, I find it easier to  put the whole butternut squash in the microwave, simply poke a few holes in the butternut squash with a fork  and microwave for several minutes.This will soften up the skin. To make for easier peeling.

Finely chop your garlic, onions, celery, and Ginger and set aside.

Peel potatoes and dice with remaining vegetables. Place stockpot on stove on medium heat, add in olive oil. Place in your onions, celery, ginger and garlic and simmer until onions are translucent.( About 3 to 4 minutes) When onions are translucent add in your vegetable broth simmer for a few more minutes then add in remaining vegetables and seasoning except for the maple syrup set it aside for later. Simmer until vegetables or tender.(about 45 minutes to an hour) . 

Turn the heat down to low and let the soup cool down a little carefully transfer a small  batch to a blender and blend and repeat  until  all the soup is smooth and creamy like a bisque. You can also wait till it cools a bit and cream it with a mixer until you get the texture you're looking for. Or you can use a plain old potato smasher. 

Pour in your maple syrup and stir and simmer are for an additional 5 minutes so all the ingredients can mix together. 

 Serve warm ... Enjoy!

Garnish with your favorite toppings. Like roasted chickpeas, toasted almonds, sunflower seeds, croutons, red pepper flakes and heavy cream.

Pairs very nice with crusty garlic bread and a side salad.

Nutritional information per serving. 

This butternut veggie bisque can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or Frozen for up to 3 months