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Squash Bisque with Mascarpone and Apple-Cheese Crostini

Very thick soup showcasing winter squash that's good hot or cold
Author: Reprinted with permission from Lodge Cast Iron Nation: Great American Cooking from Coast to Coast, edited by Pam Hoenig
Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients 

BISQUE

  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
  • 1 medium acorn squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
  • 1 sweet onion, left unpeeled, cut in half
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 5 allspice berries
  • 2 star anise
  • Pinch of salt
  • Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 tablespoons 3/4 stick butter, melted
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
  • 1/2 vanilla bean
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • Grated zest of 1 lime

CROSTINI

  • 1 Fuji apple, cored and thinly sliced
  • 4 thin oval slices crusty bread
  • 4 ounces cheese, preferably Asiago or Kashkavalo (an Israeli semihard cheese), thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup mascarpone, softened
  • Leaves from 5 sprigs fresh mint, chopped
  • Leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme, chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 360°.

Make the bisque:

  • In a large bowl, toss both squashes, the onion, whole spices, salt, and pepper with the melted butter until well coated. Pour into a Lodge 15-inch cast iron skillet, arrange in a single layer, and bake until tender, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Discard the whole spices and let cool.
  • While the vegetables roast, combine the cream and ginger in a small, heavy saucepan. Scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the mixture, and add the vanilla bean as well. Bring to boil, then immediately remove from the heat, and let cool; remove the vanilla bean.
  • Peel the cooled onion, and put it in a food processor, along with the squash and pan drippings. Process until smooth. Add the cream, orange juice, and lime zest; pulse until the mixture is just smooth and uniform. (Be careful not to overblend or the cream will break.) Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Make the crostini:

  • Preheat the broiler. Place a thin layer of sliced apple on each piece of bread, and top with the Asiago cheese. Set on a baking sheet, and place under the broiler until the cheese melts.
  • To serve, pour the bisque into 4 Lodge 1-pint cast iron Country Kettles. Garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon mascarpone, swirled in the cetner of the bisque, and sprinkle with the mint and thyme. Serve with the crostini.

Notes

Nutritional information is for the original recipe (bisque only). It was calculated by me and not included in the book. If you make the changes described above, the nutritional content changes significantly:
6 servings - 265 calories, 21g fat (8g sat), 30mg cholesterol, 121mg sodium, 17g carb, 2g fiber, 5g sugar, 4g protein
Nutritional information for the Crostini:
4 servings (original recipe) - 198 calories, 17g fat (11g sat), 48mg cholesterol, 432mg sodium, 12g carb, 2g fiber, 5g sugar, 11g protein

Nutrition Info Per Serving

Nutrition Facts
Squash Bisque with Mascarpone and Apple-Cheese Crostini
Serving Size
 
0 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
633
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
57
g
88
%
Saturated Fat
 
39
g
195
%
Trans Fat
 
0
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
0
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
0
g
Cholesterol
 
206
mg
69
%
Sodium
 
173
mg
7
%
Potassium
 
0
mg
0
%
Carbohydrates
 
28
g
9
%
Fiber
 
3
g
12
%
Sugar
 
15
g
17
%
Protein
 
2
g
4
%
Vitamin A
 
0
IU
0
%
Vitamin C
 
0
mg
0
%
Calcium
 
0
mg
0
%
Iron
 
0
mg
0
%
Net carbs
 
25
g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.