Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque with Cinnamon Cashew Cream
5 from 8 votes
That Vegan Nephew
Velvety and creamy beyond belief, this vibrant and savory-kind-of-sweet roasted butternut squash bisque brims with all those classic hearty flavors that you could want in a well-rounded winter soup: onion, garlic, ginger, and of course, toasty roasted butternut squash. And sitting atop this orange sea of smooth bisque, swirled elegantly around the inside of the bowl like a scrumptious Rorschach test (I see a man riding a camel under a palm tree) is a beautiful cinnamon cashew cream, an amazing compliment to this roasted butternut squash bisque and a unique way of elevating it to another plane of tastiness and delectability.
Firstly, preheat the oven to 375°F. Then, halve the butternut squash, scoop out the seeds and guts, and then quarter each half of the squash so that you have about 8 equal portions total. Rub the portions of squash with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper lightly, and then lay them on a baking sheet skin side down. Once the oven is preheated, bake the squash for about 1 hour, until a fork inserted slides in easily.
While the squash is in the oven, begin soaking the ½ cup of raw cashews in hot water for about 30 minutes. Once they've been soaking for half an hour, prepare the cinnamon cashew cream by draining the cashews, and then blending them with the ½ cup of water, coconut yogurt, lemon juice, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt, until very smooth. Set the cashew cream aside until you're ready to use it.
Now, once you remove the squash from the oven to let it cool, heat up 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, and then sauté the onion, ginger and garlic cloves for 7 - 10 minutes, until aromatic, and the onions become more translucent. Then, add the vegetable broth the to soup pot, and begin peeling off the skin of the butternut squash. Plop the peeled squash into the soup pot.
Next, using an immersion blender, carefully blend the squash, onions, ginger and garlic together until very creamy. An occasional chunk or two of squash is fine. Be sure to hold the head of the immersion blender underneath the liquid at all times so that the hot soup does not fly everywhere. Once blended until smooth, return the soup to the heat and add the coconut cream, white wine vinegar, and salt (to taste). Stir well to incorporate those ingredients.
Ensure that the soup is heated through, and then it's ready to be served. Ladle some butternut squash bisque into a large bowl, swirl in some cinnamon cashew cream, and then sprinkle some ground cinnamon on top.