Butternut Squash Bisque

[Twitchin Kitten]

This is a fragrant, creamy and delicately flavored soup.
I made this a few times now this winter and I am absolutely hooked on it. It's much better than those 'fancy' soups Campbell's recently put out too.

Butternut Squash Bisque

10 servings

Calories (without potatoes) = 76 per cup (8oz)

ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp butter or margarine
  
• 2 small onions - minced
  
• 3 cups peeled, seeded and cubed butternut squash
  
• 1 1/4 quarts chicken stock
  
• 1 1/2 cups peeled potatoes - cubed - optional. I don't use th potatoes
  
• 1 tsp paprika
  
• 1/2 cup whipping cream (OPTIONAL)
  
• 1 1/2 Tbsp snipped fresh chives plus a few whole chives to garnish
  
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

Melt the butter or margarine in a large saucepan.
Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes or until soft.
Add the squash, stock potatoes and paprika and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low and cover the pan. Simmer for about 35 minutes until all the vegetables are soft.
Pour the soup, in small batches - into a food processor or blender and process until very smooth.
Return the soup to the pot and stir in the cream, if using. Season with salt and pepper and reheat SLOWLY. You don't want to let this boil hard as it will lose it's thickness if it does.
Stir in the chopped chives just before serving.
Garnish with a few whole chives.

I'll try for a photo next time I make this.

Edit - 2/11/10: This soup can be frozen and re-heated nicely. Just freeze it and pop the frozen bit into a pan and heat SLOWLY over a "keep warm" flame and it's a beautiful thing all over again!

Edit - 8/4/10: Added a photo of my soup. I made a big batch of this today.