autumn

And just like that, we enter my most favorite season: autumn! ‘Tis a season characterized by warm spices, crisp breezes, a bevy of winter squashes like pumpkins and butternuts. These veggies provide the sweetness and density absent during the summer months. To me they’re sort of like a beacon of hope after an incredibly long, hot, and humid summer.

Speaking of pumpkins…did you know that they are native to North America? There’s evidence to suggest they were domesticated around 7,000 to 9,000 years ago (though they bore little resemblance to the pumpkins we know and use today). Despite the fact that pumpkins date back this far in history, it wasn’t until the 1940s that the butternut squash was bred in Massachusetts by a man named Charles Leggett. He wasn’t a plant breeder, but rather wanted to create a delicious tasting squash just big enough for a family to consume (but not too large like the already existing Hubbard). The resulting squash was, according to him, sweet as a nut with an interior smooth like butter. Thus, the butternut squash came into existence!

The lovely specimens your see in the photos are a smaller butternut variety meant to have a more concentrated flavor. They were grown and harvested by the awesome team at The Village Farm that I get to visit and photograph every week. I’d been holding on to these butternuts for a few weeks waiting for a fitting recipe to formulate. And here we are, a luxuriously thick butternut bisque flavored with a whole bulb of roasted garlic and a healthy dose of smoked paprika. To add to the cozy vibes, the bisque is topped with homemade croutons flavored with rosemary from the garden. I’ll definitely be adding this to the recipe rotation this season!

For more autumnal recipes and vibes, head here.

Butternut Bisque with Rosemary Croutons

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• Author: Courtney
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 2 large servings

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Description

A luxuriously thick butternut bisque flavored with a whole bulb of roasted garlic and a healthy dose of smoked paprika is the perfect bowl of comfort for fall and winter. To add to the cozy vibes, the bisque is topped with homemade croutons flavored with fresh rosemary. 

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Ingredients

• 4 small or 1 large/standard butternut squash
• 1 whole bulb of garlic 
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 4 cups bread, cut into roughly 1-inch cubes
• 1 heaped tbsp minced fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
• 1 vegan bouillon cube
• 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar 
• sea salt

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the butternuts in half and place them cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. There’s no need to remove the seeds now because it’s incredibly easy to do this once they have been roasted. Slice the very bottom (root end) of the bulb of garlic off, then rub it with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Wrap it in foil, then place it on the sheet with the butternuts. Roast the butternuts and garlic for 40-50 minutes or until the flesh of the butternuts is very soft. Allow them to cool for a bit before proceeding with the recipe.

Decrease the oven temperature to 375 degrees. While the butternuts and garlic are cooling, make the croutons. Toss the bread with the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil, the minced fresh rosemary, the nutritional yeast, and sea salt to taste (I used a couple of pinches). Spread the croutons in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake the croutons for 15-20 minutes or until they are crisp and golden. Make sure to toss them halfway through the baking time. Set the croutons aside while you make the soup.

Once the butternuts and garlic have cooled enough to handle, remove the seeds from the butternuts. Scoop the flesh into a blender. Remove the garlic from the foil and squeeze all of the roasted cloves into the blender as well. Add the coconut milk, vegan bouillon cube, paprika, and apple cider vinegar to the blender. Blend until very smooth then taste and add sea salt to your liking. Pour the soup into a pot and heat it through on the stove before serving it topped with a handful of the croutons.

Notes

When I want the flavor of a veggie stock without the added liquid in a recipe, I go for a vegan bouillon cube. They’re one of my pantry staples, especially during soup-making season. As for the butternut squash, I used 4 smaller squashes but you can use a standard large butternut in their place. Feel free to use any bread you like for the croutons! Leftover croutons store best in an airtight container.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes