Butternut Squash Bisque with Bacon Sage Butter

Butter:

2 slices bacon, diced and cooked through, about ¼ cup bacon crumbles

3 to 4 sage leaves

4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into tablespoons

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Soup:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 medium leek, cleaned well, white and light green parts only (about 6 ounces trimmed), sliced, about 1 cup

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch cubes, about 8 cups

1 garlic clove, smashed

1 sprig thyme

1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons sherry

4 cups chicken broth, low sodium

Calories 268 (59% from fat) • carb. 22g • sugars 4g • pro. 5g • fat 18g • sat. fat 11g • chol. 70mg • sod. 741mg • calc. 92mg • fiber 4g

Make the butter:

1. Put the bacon and sage leaves into the chopping cup. Select Speed 5 and pulse until evenly and finely chopped. Add the butter, salt and pepper and process until combined.
2. Wrap butter in plastic wrap (twist both ends of the plastic wrap so that butter will form a log shape). Refrigerate until serving. Butter should be really cold and hard for serving.

Make the soup:

1. Put the butter into a medium stockpot and place over medium/medium low heat. Once butter melts, add the leeks. Cook until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butternut squash, garlic, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt and all of the pepper.
2. Stir ingredients together well and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the sherry. Once the sherry has just about evaporated, add the broth so that the squash is completely submerged. Increase the heat. When the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, until squash is very soft and tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Once tender, select Speed 5 and blend, using the blending shafts and an up-and-down motion until smooth, about 1 to 1½ minutes.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Add the remaining salt ½ teaspoon at a time, tasting with each addition until desired seasoning is achieved.
5. To serve: Ladle soup into individual serving bowls and place a pat of Bacon Sage Butter in each bowl.