Perfect Thanksgiving Starter

Last Thanksgiving, instead of sitting down to a table crowded end-to-end with turkey and side dishes, we decided to start with a first course. It’s not as if we were making culinary history. Ancient Greeks kicked off their festivities with bits of fish and cheese and Renaissance chefs did the same thing with thin rolls of grilled veal. All we had in mind was soup.

But it couldn’t be just any soup. Because of the last minute bedlam that usually hits the Thanksgiving kitchen, we needed a recipe that could be made ahead and served without fuss. Whatever we chose, it had to be more interesting than broth but nothing too filling. We wanted a starter that would introduce the meal, but let everyone know it was just to rev up their appetite. In other words, something light.

Chowders and cream soups were the first things that came to mind, and after bouncing ideas around, we settled on butternut squash tomato bisque. The starchy winter squash would give the bisque the texture of a chowder and puréeing it would give the “creaminess” of cream soup, but without cream.

The bisque that we ended up with was a snap to put together. The combination of bright orange squash and red tomatoes made it a gorgeous pumpkin color, and the simple tomato garnish dressed it up. Our Thanksgiving family had no trouble figuring out the ingredients: squash, onion, tomatoes and broth. They missed the maple syrup, which enhanced the sweetness of the vegetables, but that was OK. What mattered was that when they finished their last spoonfuls, they were ready for the rest of the holiday dinner.

Butternut Squash and Tomato Bisque

Mark Boughton

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You can make this creamy soup up to a month in advance and freeze. The day before serving, thaw it in the refrigerator and heat it either on the stovetop or in a slow-cooker.



Ingredients

3 1/2 pounds butternut squash (4 cups squash pulp)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes with juice
1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
3 1/2 cups lower-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Place squash cut sides down in a roasting pan. Add water to depth of 1-inch. Bake 30 minutes or until tender. Scrape pulp from squash to measure 4 cups.
2. Heat butter and oil in a Dutch oven. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes.
3. Place tomatoes with juice in a food processor. Add maple syrup or honey; process until blended. Add butternut squash; process until smooth. Add squash mixture, chicken broth and salt to Dutch oven; stir well and heat through. Garnish with chopped tomato.
Serves 8.

Recipe by Crescent Dragonwagon, "Relish the Holidays," Nov. 2006.

Nutritional Information

Per serving: 143 calories, 7g fat, 3g prot., 20g carbs., 4g fiber, 540mg sodium.

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