Butternut Apple Bisque

Today felt like a fall day, we wanted to just cozy up with a bowl of soup. Even my munchkin was in a cozy mood as she wanted to cuddle all day. Just warmed me up! 

We were talking soup though. We can get sidetracked by cuddles here. 

In the Delish In a Pinch kitchen, soups and bisques make many appearances during the fall and winter seasons. Tonight it was a Butternut Squash Apple Bisque. This bisque also includes celery and carrots. When I puree the vegetables in the bisque there is no pushback by my 11-year-old because (gently whispering) he doesn't realize they are in the soup (hehe). 

What is the difference between a bisque and soup? Heavy cream is added to the soup which results in a rich and creamy bisque.

We paired the soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. This soup was made in the instant pot, we tend to gravitate to the instant pot when making certain things. This can be made on the stovetop as well, about one hour on the stove in a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pan.

Hera’s Pinch

Heavy cream is not needed in this recipe, the soup is delicious without it.

For the grilled cheese sandwiches, use mayo instead of butter to coat the bread before you grill it. The sugar that is in the mayo gives a nice golden crust to the sandwiches. Thanks, Mom for that tip!

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Butternut Squash Apple Soup

Yield: 6-8

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 50 Min

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 granny smith apple, roughly chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 a large onion chopped
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 4 1/2 cups of butternut squash (frozen or fresh, chopped into small pieces)
• 4 cups of chicken stock
• 1 cup of heavy cream (optional)

Toppings

• 3 strips of cooked bacon cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup of Shredded Parmesan

Instructions

1. Set the Instant Pot to saute and add the butter, carrots, apple, celery, onion, cumin, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper and saute till they soften about five minutes.
2. Add the butternut squash and chicken stock. Lock the lid of the instant pot and make sure the top nozzle is sealed. Set on high pressure for 25 minutes or push the soup button. (SEE NOTE)
3. When the pressure has finished, unlock the nozzle on the top for a quick release of pressure. Once all the pressure is released, open the lid and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.
4. The next step would be to add water to thin out the soup or heavy cream to thicken it up. If you like the consistency then leave it. Taste test the soup here and add more salt and pepper at this stage.
5. Cool the soup for ten minutes then ladle it into bowls. Top with chopped bacon and parmesan.

Notes:

If not using an instant put then use a heavy-bottomed pan to cook the soup in. You will simmer the soup for about one hour then move to the puree step.