Zesty Winter Squash and Red Pepper Bisque- Healthy Recipes

Bisque is a smooth, creamy, highly seasoned soup of French origin, classically based on a strained broth (coulis) of crustaceans. It can be made from lobster, crab, shrimp, crayfish or squash.

Bisque is a method of extracting every bit of flavor from imperfect crustaceans not good enough to send to market. In an authentic bisque, the shells are ground to a fine paste and added to thicken the soup. Julia Child even remarked, "Do not wash anything off until the soup is done because you will be using the same utensils repeatedly and you don't want any marvelous tidbits of flavor losing themselves down the drain." Bisques are thickened with rice, which can either be strained out, leaving behind the starch, or pureed during the final stages.

Seafood bisque is traditionally served in a low two-handled cup on a saucer or in a mug.

Bisque is also sometimes used to refer to creamy soups made from roasted and puréed vegetables that do not contain seafood, in which the sometimes pre-cooked ingredients are pureed or processed in a food processor or a food mill. Common varieties include squash, tomato, mushroom, and red pepper.

  

Winter squash is a summer-growing annual fruit, representing several squash species within the genus Cucurbita. It differs from summer squash in that it is harvested and eaten in the mature fruit stage, when the seeds within have matured fully and the skin has hardened into a tough rind. At this stage, most varieties of this fruit can be stored for use during the winter.

Winter squash is a low-calorie, good source of complex vegetable carbohydrates and dietary fiber. It is an excellent source of vitamin A, a great source of vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber and manganese, and a good source of folate, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin B1 (thiamin), copper, tryptophan, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B3 (niacin) and vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid).

It is also a source of iron and beta carotene. Usually, the darker the skin is, the higher the beta carotene content.

How to Prevent Discoloration in Vegetables When Cooking

INGREDIENTS:

4 red bell peppers

4 cup ghee or butter

1 garlic bulb

2 pound acorn, kabocha, or butternut squash

1 yellow onion, diced

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 4 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

4 teaspoon cinnamon

4 cup white wine

4 cups chicken stock or mineral broth

1 tablespoon butter

1 can 12–5 oz coconut milk

2 cup cilantro (optional)

4 cup pumpkin seed, toasted (optional)

PROCEDURE:

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the red peppers in half and remove the white membrane and seeds. Place the peppers cut-side down on the baking sheet and brush them lightly with the melted ghee.

2) Cut 2 inch off the stem end of the garlic bulb and drizzle it with a teaspoon of melted ghee. Wrap the garlic in a square of foil, lined with parchment paper, and place it on the baking sheet next to the red peppers.

3) Carefully cut the winter squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Brush the cut side lightly with ghee and place it cut-side down on the baking sheet. Roast all vegetables for 1 hour.

4) Check the red peppers after 30 minutes; if the skins are bubbly and wrinkled, they are ready. Remove them from the oven, transfer them to a heat-proof glass bowl, and cover them with a lid or plate. Covering the peppers will make the skins easier to remove later.

5) While the squash continues roasting, heat the remaining ghee in a wide soup pot over medium to low heat. Add the onions, season lightly with sea salt, and cook gently until the onions turn golden. Add the cumin and mustard seeds, and cook the mixture for 5 minutes, until the seeds become very aromatic.

6) Stir in the chili powder, turmeric, and cinnamon, and continue cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes on low heat.

7) Deglaze the pan using the white wine, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook the mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated.

8) When the squash is easily pierced with a fork, remove it and the garlic from the oven. Allow them to cool for about 10 minutes or until they are easy to handle. Scoop out the squash and place it in a bowl. Squeeze out the garlic cloves into the same bowl. Remove the thin skins from the red peppers, chop them roughly, and place them in the same bowl. Add the entire contents of the bowl to the soup pot with the onions and spices.

9) Add the broth and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.

10) Remove the pot from the heat. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup directly in the pot. If  you’re using a regular blender, fill it no more than two-thirds full and be sure to vent it so that the top doesn’t pop off (either remove the pop-out center from the lid, or lift one edge of the lid and drape it with a clean towel).

11) Rinse the soup pot, return the blended soup to the pot, and add the butter and coconut milk. Stir the mixture together gently until the new ingredients are well incorporated. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

12) Serve as is or stir in chopped cilantro and top each serving with toasted pumpkin seeds.

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Calorie Counter

Squash, Winter, Butternut

Cooked, Baked, Without Salt

butternut squash, vegetables, squash, veggies, butternut

A Grade

82 Calories

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 cup, cubes (205 g)

Per Serving	% Daily Value
Calories 82
Calories from Fat 2
Total Fat 0.2g	0%
Saturated Fat 0.0g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 8mg	0%
Carbohydrates 21.5g	7%
Dietary Fiber 6.6g	26%
Sugars 4.0g
Protein 1.8g
Vitamin A	9%
Vitamin C	87%
Calcium	1%
Iron	39%