Creamy Butternut Squash Bisque

by Heidi St. John ~ The Busy Mom ~ thebusymom.com
Used by permission
http://heidistjohn.com/recipes/creamy-butternut-squash-bisque

Serves 8

Creamy, delicious and a great way to feed a crowd! Perfect for a cold winter night.

Ingredients

• 1 2 1/2 pound butternut squash (or 1 pkg from Costco of cubed winter squash)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large Braeburn or Gala apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups apple juice
• 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 6 oz smoked Gouda or smoked cheddar, finely shredded
• {optional} toppings - crumbled bacon, smoked paprika

Instructions

1. Peel, seed and cube butternut squash
2. In 6-qt Dutch oven, melt butter over med-high heat.
3. Add squash, onion, carrot, celery and garlic
4. Cook, stirring frequently, until veggies are tender
5. Add apples, broth, cider and peppers
6. Bring to a boil; reduce heat
7. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until veggies and apples are tender
8. Allow to cool slightly
9. Using an immersion blender, puree while in pot. You can also puree in a blender, in smaller batches.
10. Blend in sour cream
11. Blend in smoked Gouda