Zucchini Bisque

It has been 0º plus or minus a little, outside for the last two weeks, maybe more.  Needless to say hot soup has been on the menu a few times lately.  Tonight I brought out an oldey but goody.  Zucchini Bisque.  I learned to make this from the (then) head chef at the BYU Skyroom restaurant.  I remember stopping in his kitchen for some errand, watching him make it then jotting down what I learned when I got back to the catering office.  It is simple and good.

As we came in from violin lessons tonight, just the distance from the garage into the house makes you cold.  So we sad down and hurriedly ate. Which meant I didn't remember to snap a picture until it was almost gone.

For tonight's soup I used zucchini I had frozen from the summer.  I have a hard time planning meals, or remembering to plan, to use what food I have stored.  (I have bags of frozen apples waiting to make pie etc. from 2011 still.) So I was glad I thought of that. Also I tossed in a pinch or two of garlic powder and a sprinkle or two of red pepper flakes*.  I used the turkey drippings/stock I had saved from Thanksgiving instead of chicken broth but added a bit of chicken drippings as well as I was cooking a large batch in the crockpot to shred and freeze for later use. Then I added two tablespoons of corn starch (gluten free you know) to thicken it a tiny bit more for me.  You know I can never follow a straight recipe, right?

Zucchini Bisque

1/2 lb (about 1 large) Onion, chopped
2 Tbs. butter
1 1/2 lb zucchini
3 cups chicken stock
1 pint half&half
salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onions and zucchini until translucent and softened.  Add chicken broth and simmer 15 min.  Use a hand blender to blend to desired consistency.  (If you use a regular blender, let the soup cool down before adding to your blender so it doesn't explode.  Then bring back up to heat.) Add any additional seasonings* then whisk in half and half.

(I recommend the dash of red pepper flakes ;)