Butternut squash sweet potato bisque

Two favorite flavors of fall combine into one creamy delicious soup topped with savory, buttered chanterelles.

Let’s talk about soup. Way more comforting than this election, amiright!?

This soup has everything orange: butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes … chanterelles. I guess they’re in the yellow/orange family, yes?

Pretty simple: roast the veg. Cook the aromatics. Add broth, blend, add cream, saute mushrooms. EAT. Hearty, vegetarian, deliciously fall soup.

Butternut squash sweet potato bisque
Recipe: adapted from Epicurious
Serves: 4 quarts

1 medium butternut squash
1 extra large (or 2 medium) sweet potatoes
2 large carrots
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
salt & pepper
6 tablespoon butter, divided
1 leek, diced (white and light green only)
1 Spanish onion, diced
8 sage leaves, minced
1 large bay leaf
4 cups vegetable broth
1.5 cups whole milk or cream
1/3 lb chanterelles, sliced thin

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Place it cut-side-down in a baking dish with a 1/2-inch water. Bake until very soft, about 45 minutes to an hour.

3. After you put the squash in the oven, chop the sweet potatoes and carrots into small chunks, toss with olive oil, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and add to the oven with the squash. These veggies should only take 30-40 minutes.

4. Remove the vegetables and squash as they're ready.

5. Once everything is out of the oven, heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add 3 Tbsp butter, then the leek, onion, and sage.
Saute until the onion is soft, then add the carrots, sweet potato, and (scooped out of the skin) squash, along with the bay leaf and vegetable broth.

6. Bring everything to a simmer, and let cook for 20 minutes.

7. Remove the bay leaf and use an immersion blender to blend the soup smooth. Add the milk/cream, bring back to barely a simmer, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

8. To make the mushrooms, heat the remaining 3 Tbsp butter in a frying pan. When the butter is very hot, nearly sizzling, add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until they are soft and the edges are crisping brown. Remove and serve immediately on top of the warm soup.

Related post on The Kitchen Paper: BUTTERNUT SQUASH STUFFED SHELLS WITH BROWNED BUTTER SQUASH SAGE SAUCE