Delicata Squash Bisque
by Laura Frerichs, Tastemaker in Residence
News from the farm. We are getting some much-needed warmer temperatures to push in the last of the tomatoes and peppers this season. Also ripening up the big butternut squashes and getting our romanesco close to harvest!
This was recommended by a long-time CSA member. Cashew cream is a nice way to add richness without adding dairy. See link to the “rich vegetable broth” recipe below.
Serves 4 large bowls, 6-8 Cups
Ingredients
3 Pounds Delicata Squash, (2 pounds after prepping)
Oil for roasting
4 Cups rich vegetable broth (Link to recipe below)
1 tsp Thyme
Lots of Black Pepper
1 1/2 tsp Salt, more or less to taste
Cashew Cream
1 Cup Raw, Unsalted Cashews
1 Cup Rich Vegetable Broth, divided
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400º F. Peel squash and chop off the ends. Halve the squash and scrape out the seeds.
Place on a baking sheet cut-side down and brush lightly with oil. Bake for 30-40 minutes until tender and beginning to brown. Flip squash before the baking is finished if needed to prevent burning.
Meanwhile, add the cashews to your blender and 1/2 cup of veggie broth. Begin pulsing to incorporate, eventually turning the blender all the way on while slowly adding the other 1/2 cup of broth. Once all the broth is added (1 cup total), let the blender run for 1-2 minutes until very, very smooth. Set cream aside. If your blender can’t get the cream completely smooth, strain before adding it to the soup.
Remove squash from the oven. Using a spatula, transfer it into a large soup pot. Break up the squash into chunks with a spoon or your spatula and add 4 cups of veggie broth, thyme, and black pepper. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes, covered. Working in batches if needed, blend the soup until very smooth, being careful not to overfill your blender. My 64 oz blender fit the entire batch of soup. Return the blended soup to the pot and add all but 1/4 cup of the cashew cream. Season with salt and more pepper. How much salt you add with depend on how salty your broth is to begin with. I thought 1 1/2 tsp salt was perfect for my batch, but yours might differ.
Pour soup into bowls (or mugs!) and garnish with extra cashew cream drizzled on the top and some fresh black pepper. Little squigglies of cream look nice, but you can also draw hearts or stars or swirls, whatever!
Cook’s Note