The word "bisque" traditionally is used to describe a soup made with lobster or shell fish of some sort. Alternatively it is can be used to describe soup made with roasted vegetables. For this recipe I used roasted pumpkins instead of the canned variety therefore—bisque!
Possible Recipe Substitutions:
Olive Oil: Pumpkin seed oil can be substituted for the olive oil. It will give your soup a darker colour and a deeper flavour.
Shallots: The recipe also calls for 3/4 cups of shallots. If you don;t have them handy (or don't want to pay the crazy price) you can use one of the following substitutions:
- 3/4 cup sweet onion + 2 tablespoons chopped garlic chives
- 1/2 cup regular cooking onions + 1 crushed clove garlic
Apple Cider: The 1/2 cup of apple cider can be substituted for any one of the following
- 1/2 cup beer
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1 medium apple (juiced)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil or pumpkin seed oil
3/4 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup unbleached flour
4 cups vegetable
1/2 cup apple cider
1 (15- or 16-ounce) can pumpkin or 4 cups fresh, cooked pumpkin
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/16 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup half-and-half or whipping cream
Topping (optional)
Whipping cream or low fat sour cream
Fresh thyme
Heat oil over and add the shallots, onion, and ginger; cook until tender.
Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Pour in the broth and cider all at once, stirring constantly to avoid lumping. Cook and stir over until thickened and bubbly.
Mix in the pumpkin, maple syrup, bay leaves, dried thyme, cinnamon, pepper, and cloves.
Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat. Discard bay leaves. Cool slightly.
Blend the mixture in batches using a blender or food processor.
Once the entire lot is smooth, return it to the saucepan and stir in the cream.
Heat through, but do not boil.
When serving, swirl a little sour cream (or whipping cream) into each bowl and garnish with fresh thyme.
Makes 6 servings
