ACORN SQUASH AND SWEET POTATO BISQUE

Hello!

As Thanksgiving nears I am pulling out all the stops to share my favorite turkey day recipes with you.  Today I’m preparing this delicious and healthy Acorn Squash and Sweet Potato Bisque. It is one of the many do-ahead recipes that is perfect for Thanksgiving, and will taste even better in two days when I heat it up and serve it on Thanksgiving.

Not only is it delicious, it is beautiful too, and will really impress your dinner guests.  To get started first preheat your oven to 375º F.  Then cut 6 (2 lbs) acorn squash in half down the middle and remove the seeds.  Carefully cut off the cute little stems and save them for making my DIY Cloth Pumpkins.

Since the acorn squash will become the serving bowls, you need them to have a stable, flat bottom. Cut a very thin slice off of the bottom of each squash, being careful not to cut through to the interior of the squash. No one likes leeky squash bowls!

Now, brush your “bowls” all over, inside and out, with olive oil and sprinkle kosher salt and freshly ground pepper on the inside flesh.  Place the oiled and seasoned bowls on two large baking sheets.  Pop them in the preheated oven and roast them until the flesh is tender, about 1-1/4 hours.  In the meantime you are going to make the soup.

Next, peel and cube 5 medium sized sweet potatoes to achieve 6 cups.

Dice 1 onion. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large stock pot set over medium heat. Add the diced onions and cook until the onion is tender and translucent.

Add 8 cups, (2-32 oz. boxes) chicken stock to the pot…

along with 1/4 cup maple syrup and the sweet potatoes.

Toss in 3 sprigs of fresh thyme and 1 teaspoon curry powder. Now bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are fork tender, about 30 minutes.  Remove the sprigs of thyme then set the soup aside and check on the acorn squash in the oven.

Once the squash is fully cooked and the flesh is nice and tender, remove them from the oven and let them cool until you can handle them.  Using a melon baller, scoop out the flesh, taking care not to rupture your squash bowls.

Add the squash to the soup.

Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until creamy.  Season it with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Reheat the soup before serving in your lovely squash bowls.

Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and serve to your happy guests.

ENJOY!

ACORN SQUASH AND SWEET POTATO BISQUE

 

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Prep time

40 mins

Cook time

1 hour 30 mins

Total time

2 hours 10 mins

 

This soup not only tastes delicious it looks elegant, served in squash bowls.

Author: Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 6 (2 lbs) Acorn Squash
• 5 Sweet Potatoes, Peeled and Cubed (6 cups)
• 1 Onion, Diced
• ⅓ Cup Olive Oil (divided)
• 8 Cups (2-32 oz. boxes) Chicken Stock
• ¼ Cup Maple Syrup
• 3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 1 Teaspoon Curry Powder
• ½ Cup Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
• Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper

Instructions

1. Cut the squash in half down the middle and remove the seeds.
2. Preheat oven to 375º F.
3. Cut 6 acorn squash in half down the middle and remove the seeds.
4. Cut a very thin slice off of the bottom of each squash, being careful not to cut through to the interior of the squash.
5. Brush squash inside and out with olive oil.
6. Sprinkle the inside flesh with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
7. Place the oiled and seasoned squash bowls on two large baking sheets.
8. Bake until the flesh is tender, about 1-1/4 hours.
9. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large stock pot set over medium heat.
10. Add diced onions and cook until the onion is tender and translucent.
11. Add chicken stock, maple syrup, sweet potatoes, thyme and curry powder to the pot.
12. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are fork tender, about 30 minutes.
13. Remove the sprigs of thyme then set the soup aside.
14. Once squash is fully cooked and flesh is tender, remove it from the oven and cool until they can be handled.
15. Using a melon baller, scoop out the flesh, taking care not to rupture the squash bowls.
16. Reserve the squash bowls to be used as soup bowls.
17. Add the cooked squash to the soup.
18. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until creamy.
19. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
20. Reheat the soup before serving in the squash bowls.
21. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds.
22. ENJOY!

Notes

Can be made 2 days ahead and reheated on serving day.

3.2.2708

So there you have it:  ACORN SQUASH AND SWEET POTATO BISQUE

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