Butternut Squash and Ginger Bisque

This is everything a pumpkin soup should be when it’s brought to the table. It is slightly thick and creamy. It is velvety smooth. It has a beautiful yellow-orange color that reminds me of fall leaves falling from a tree. And it has an amazing slightly sweet pumpkin flavor that is perfectly accented with a good hit of ginger. It’s like putting a warm sweater on and getting nice and cozy in your favorite chair next to the fire.

I think adding a handful of risotto rice to the soup as it cooks and blends with the butternut squash creates the perfect creaminess to this soup – without adding any cream. This is a welcome departure from most recipes. It is also one of my favorite techniques to employ when I make a pureed soup. The risotto rice breaks down into a wonderful mass of starch that blends extremely well.

I recommend getting all the ingredients ready before making this soup because the cooking steps come together rapidly.

Difficulty: simple
Yield:  makes about 6-8 servings