Butternut Squash Bisque

Name: Butternut Squash Bisque
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil; 3 shallots, minced; 1/4 cup sherry wine; 2 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and steamed or boiled until fork–tender*; 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock; 2 tbsp maple syrup or molasses; 3/4 tsp sea salt; Toasted pumpkin seed oil to drizzle as garnish (optional); Fried sage leaves; Roasted chestnuts, sliced

4.5 out of 5 · 2 ratings

Active time: 45 min

Total time: 45 min

Serves: 4

This holiday-inspired soup is a versatile way to use any squash of the season, or sweet potatoes. A drizzle of toasted pumpkin seed oil and a dash of toasted pumpkin seeds completes this comforting Autumn soup.

Chef's notes

*You can substitute other winter squash such as acorn or curry. Feel free to experiment with different flavor profiles and combinations. *Another great garnish option is to drizzle a bit of cashew sour cream before serving.

Steps

Preparing the Soup

Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, minced
1/4 cup sherry wine
2 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and steamed or boiled until fork–tender*
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 tbsp maple syrup or molasses
3/4 tsp sea salt
Toasted pumpkin seed oil to drizzle as garnish (optional)
Fried sage leaves
Roasted chestnuts, sliced

First gather and prepare your mise en place. To prepare the bisque, bring a soup pot to medium–high heat and add the olive oil. Add the shallots and sauté until golden and translucent, then deglaze with the sherry. Allow the wine to evaporate, then add remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Using a stick blender or counter top blender, combine all remaining ingredients until smooth. Season to taste and serve. As an option, garnish with a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil, sliced roasted chestnuts and fried sage.

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15 Comments

Eric H • July 5, 2014 at 02:46AM

Very nice, very full flavor. I use a fairly dark, concentrated veggie stock, which darkened the overall dish and detracted a bit from the squash flavor. I think next time I'll dilute the stock with some water and see how that works...

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Jeremy R • January 15, 2015 at 01:48AM

Tasted it throughout and it was "good". I added a little heavy cream near the end which made it a little more creamy and smooth. Much better.

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Diana S • December 24, 2016 at 09:13PM

The consistency was a bit "grainy" I had to put it the soup through a sieve. What caused it? Should I have added more stock? Or heavy cream?

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Ken R • Rouxbe Staff • December 27, 2016 at 04:29PM

HI- Two things typically cause graininess/grit. 1) Undercooked squash (just cook it longer so it's softer) and 2) Not enough blender time. If you do ever find a soup to have this less than silky quality, you can also use a sieve to help, but it should be very, very smooth and creamy without that additional step in most cases. ~Ken

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Katy T • March 1, 2018 at 04:05PM

Can you clarify if Chad intended for the sherry to be sweet or dry? Each would give a very different flavour profile.

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Kirk B • March 5, 2018 at 01:44AM

Hi Katy - thanks for your question. I am not 100% certain which route Chad would have you go but my best guess would be with a drier sherry - which is what we typically use in cooking. Your instincts are spot on, a sweeter sherry might add a completely different profile to this particular dish; I would suggest not to use a sherry that is actually labeled "cooking sherry" however as this product is typically very salty...I hope this helps Katy! All the best and thanks for engaging with Rouxbe. Chef Kirk

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Beth S • October 30, 2018 at 09:49PM

I had never had this type of soup but I've made it twice in one week. It's easy and tasty.....my kind of dish. I wasn't precise with the amount of squash nor the vegetable broth.....my squash turned out to be a little larger than 2-1/2 cups so I used a little more (4 cups) vegetable stock. I used a cube of vegetable broth but reconstituted it in the steaming water from the squash so it had a slightly sweet taste. Excellent recipe! Thank you, Rouxbe!

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Beth S • November 3, 2018 at 12:23PM

Can this soup be made ahead and frozen for later use?

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Brian S • November 5, 2018 at 03:38AM

Absolutely, the soup can be ahead and frozen. I can only see when heating up the soup that you may need to whisk it together to a smooth consistency again. Enjoy, I hope this helps with meal planning.

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Anthia L • April 1, 2020 at 07:01AM

What is the difference between a soup and a bisque?

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Lauren L • April 3, 2020 at 09:05PM

Hi Anthia. A bisque is a type of soup that is smooth and creamy. : ) Lauren

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Patricia H • July 5, 2020 at 11:03PM

made this today with acorn squash WAY SO GOOD - had to leave out a few things - sage leaves and chestnuts - and added some coconut milk :) great soup thank you!

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Amorsola Q • May 21, 2022 at 08:10PM

this is wonderful!

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Lisa F • September 29, 2025 at 02:03AM

Is there anything you can use instead of the 1 and 1/2 TBS of olive oil? I'm trying to keep oils out of my cooking. I'm assuming you can just do a water sauté instead?

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Char N • Rouxbe Staff • September 29, 2025 at 02:37PM

Perfect. You do not need the oil. I have made this recipe, but has roasted the squash. Water saute is perfect, my choice, as well. Char

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