Recipe: Mama Lisa's Butternut Bisque

My mother, Lisa enjoys making food that she has grown herself, bought from the farmers market, or sold at the local co-op and thinks raw kale can be added to anything. While I wouldn’t recommend her infamous kale with blueberry oatmeal, unsalted brown rice dishes or biscuits made without cream,  Lisa does make a mean kale salad - a fan favorite at Thanksgiving, scrumptious Anzac cookies which we love with our afternoon tea and her delicious butternut bisque.  She can never find the recipe so I usually get a response like this when I inquire:

“Can’t find it.   Here’s from memory - 1 med. butternut squash peeled and cut into cubes, 2 carrots, 1 leek, olive oil, 1 cup vegetable stock, 1 cup of white wine, (let it cook into the squash, 1/4 cup of maple syrup, 1 cup 1/2 and 1/2, salt/pepper to taste, dash of nutmeg when serving!  Kale on the side is optional! 😘”


Translation, it looks a little something like this:

1 medium butternut squash - peeled and cubed

1 leek - sliced thinly

1 large shallot - minced

2 carrots - peeled and sliced thinly

2 tbsp - olive oil

2 cups vegetable stock (increased stock since we didn’t have white wine)

¼  cup maple syrup

¾ cup half and half

¼ tsp nutmeg

Salt and pepper


  1. In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and cook the butternut, leek, shallot and carrots until butternut becomes soft and shallot is translucent.
  2. Then add the vegetable stock and cook until all veggies are soft enough to smash with the back of a spoon.
  3. Remove the pot from heat. Add maple syrup and half and half.
  4. Using an immersion blender blend until smooth, you may need to add more half and half or stock for your desired thickness.
  5. Add nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Enjoy with a grilled cheese, sharp cheddar cheese and crackers or with a kale salad.




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