Butternut Squash Bisque

Yield: 1/2 gallon

2 pounds butternut squash

4-6 cups vegetable stock (chicken stock may be substituted)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 onion, minced

1 tablespoon oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place the squash, whole, into the oven until fork tender (about 45 minutes to 1 hour). Meanwhile, sauté the onion in the oil and add the stock to heat. When the squash is cool enough to handle, remove the skin, cut it in half and discard the seeds. Place the flesh into the pot of stock, onion. Simmer until the onion is tender, season with the salt and pepper, and then puree it with an immersion blender (also called a stick blender). If you don’t have an immersion blender, allow the soup to cool, scoop or strain out the chunks, puree the chunks in a blender or food processor, and then stir the pureed part back into the stock. The stock amount in the recipe ingredients varies by 4-6 cups due to how thin or thick you would like your soup. Start with 4 cups of stock and, after it has been pureed, add more stock until you reach your desired consistency.