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Butternut Bisque with Parsley Pistou

  • Prep-time: / Ready In:
  • Makes 10 cups
  • Serving size: 2½ cups
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Silky smooth, packed full of flavor, and topped with a French-inspired variation on pesto, this butternut squash bisque is what soup dreams are made of. The orange-hued base features sautéed onions, garlic, and thyme to create a rich bisque where every slurp tastes like a spoonful of liquid gold. The secret to producing the perfect velvety texture is to add a can of creamy butter beans into the mix and puree everything with an immersion blender. Once spooned into bowls, a drizzle of pepita and parsley pistou—a sauce that normally features basil and olive oil—is ideal for swirling into the soup. Serve this butternut bisque with a side of crusty whole grain bread for an extra hearty meal. 

For more soup inspiration, check out these tasty ideas:

By Ellen Boeke,

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup raw pepitas or raw cashews
  • 2 cups packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 15-oz. cans no-salt-added butter beans, rinsed and drained (3 cups)
  • 1 cup unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • For pistou, place pepitas in a bowl. Cover with boiling water. Let soak 10 minutes; drain. Place pumpkin seeds in a food processor with parsley, yeast, vinegar, the 3 chopped garlic cloves, and the oregano. Process until nearly smooth, adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to reach desired consistency.
  • In a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven cook onion over medium 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally and adding water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed to prevent sticking. Add the 4 cloves of minced garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add squash and broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until squash is very tender, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the remaining ingredients. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth. (Or transfer to a blender in batches; cover and blend until smooth. Return to pot.) Heat through. Serve soup with a swirl of pistou.
Nutritional Information:

Per serving (2½ cups): 342 calories, 60 g carbohydrates, 14 g protein, 6 g total fat, 0 g cholesterol, 396 mg sodium, 14 g fiber, 8 g sugar

Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.

Comments (11)

(5 from 3 votes)

Recipe Rating

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Brian

This was great. I subbed soy beans cause I had some frozen for making soy milk and got lazy. Taste was really creamy and felt filling with fresh bread.

helene whitefield

why is yeast added

Beth

Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast so it won’t make anything rise. It adds a cheesy or nutty flavor to soups or sauces. It’s really good sprinkled on different foods and is often substituted for Parmesan cheese.

Lisa, Forks Over Knives Support

Hi Helene, Nutritional yeast is not the same as bakers yeast used to make bread. It's a deactivated yeast and is used to add a "cheesy," savory flavor.

Laura

This soup is deLISHous! Love the parsley pistou! Brought this up to Maine for company Will make again. And again.. esp when butternut is in the plenty- already in mid August!

Joy Bolster

Excellent soup. Tastes great and love all the ingredients. It made a ton of soup.

Michele

Absolutely delicious

Geraldine Powell

I don't understand this recipe. The first step (no 1). Do you keep that and add it at the end or do you add it in step 3?

forallweknow

Hello ~ the first step is making the pistou. You would put that aside and then add it to each bowl as you serve up the soup.

Holly

The last step of the recipe tells you how to use the pistou you made in step 1

Roy

Step 1 makes the pistou. Steps 2 and 3 make the soup. The description states:- Once (the soup has been) spooned into bowls, a drizzle of pepita and parsley pistou—a sauce that normally features basil and olive oil—is ideal for swirling into the soup

About the Author

Ellen Boeke headshot

About the Author

Ellen Boeke

Ellen Boeke has more than 25 years of experience as a recipe developer and food editor. She holds Bachelor's of Science degrees in consumer food science and journalism from Iowa State University and attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France. Find her on LinkedIn.
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