The Sinister Scribe

Butternut and Ham Bisque

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Butter unsalted
• 1 large Onion chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Rosemary
• 2 cloves Garlic minced
• 5 cup Butternut squash peeled, diced
• 1 cup Potato peeled, diced
• 5 cup Chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 cup Milk add extra powder
• 1 1/2 cup Ham cooked, cubed

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a medium soup pot or a large saucepan. Stir in the onion and rosemary. Partially cover the pan and cook the onion over moderate heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute.

2. Add the squash, potatoes, chicken stock, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover the pot. Cook the soup at a low boil for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft. Remove the pan from the heat.

3. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the soup solids and a ladleful of broth to a food processor (do this in batches if your processor is small). Puree the vegetables, then stir them back into the broth. Stir in the pepper, the milk, and the ham, heating for several minutes before serving.

Notes: OMG! This is soooo good. Makes me wish I had smoked garlic to use in it. Mmmmmmmmm! I would imagine that replacing the chicken broth with veg broth and leaving out the ham would make for an equally delectable vegetarian soup.

My favorite thing about cold weather is being able to enjoy a nice hot bowl of hearty soup! Thought I’d share my favorite one. The inspiration for this recipe came from the Hillbilly Housewife website. I’ve changed it quite a bit so I feel comfortable posting it. It is a rich hearty soup that even my picky son will eat!

I’ve taken to calling it Sausage Soup because that is what the smell of the spices remind me of but there is no “sausage” in it.
Sausage Soup

Yields: 6 Servings

Ingredients

1 pound Pork ground, cooked
8 cup Broth
1 1/2 cup Beans dry, white
1 medium Onion chopped
1 medium Celery stalk, chopped
1 medium Carrot chopped
1/8 teaspoon Pepper
1 teaspoon Parsley
1 teaspoon Oil; vegetable
3 medium Bacon slices, chopped fine
1/2 cup Water
4 tablespoon Whole-wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon Carroway seeds
1/2 teaspoon Fennel seed
1 tablespoon Garlic chopped
1 teaspoon Salt or to taste

Instructions
Soak beans overnight or quick soak on the stove. Cook meat with onion and bacon in a skillet until almost done. Toss this mixture into a soup pot with the beans and broth. Add the catsup and stir until it dissolves. Chop your celery, carrots and add them to the pot. Measure in the spices and salt.

Place a lid on the soup, and simmer it for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are all tender. Now, in a small jar with a good lid, measure the cold water and flour. Screw on the lid tightly. Shake the water and flour together until they are smooth. When the flour is dissolved into the water, pour the mixture into the boiling soup and stir well. The soup will thicken up nicely. Simmer the soup for another 10 minutes.