Recipe for Today: Butternut and Ham Bisque

This soup features one of fall's most distinctive flavors, sweet winter squash. To give the bisque its due, be sure you use sweet onions such as Vidalias.

What you'll need

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 very large sweet onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 cups peeled, diced butternut squash
• 1 cup peeled, diced all-purpose potatoes
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup light or heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups diced cooked ham

How to make it

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 cream, and the ham, heating for several minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.