What’s Cookin’?

Yellow Squash Bisque
Cajun-Creole Cooking
by Terry Thompson
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 carrots, sliced
4 cups yellow crookneck squash, sliced (approx. 1.5 pounds)
3 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2  quarts Louisiana Brown Poultry stock or canned chicken broth
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Approx. 2 1/2  tsp. Hungarian paprika
In a 4-quart heavy saucepan, melt butter or margarine. Add onion and sauté until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, carrots and squash. Toss to coat with butter or margarine. Add flour all at once. Stir to combine.
Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring. Slowly stir in stock or broth. Season to taste with salt and cayenne. Cover; cook until all vegetables are fork tender, about 45 minutes. Puree soup in batches in blender or food processor fitted with steel blade. When all soup has been pureed, return to soup pot. Stir in cream. (Also very good without cream.)
Heat through; do not boil. Stir in nutmeg; cook 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon paprika into each soup bowl. Ladle hot soup over paprika. Stir soup in bowls; when soup is stirred, paprika will create an attractive marbled pattern. If desired, the soup base may be pureed, cooled and frozen up to one month. Thaw base in refrigerator; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; add cream. Makes 8-10 servings.