Butternut Squash & Crab Bisque (inspired by Whole Foods) Recipe

• 2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 16 ounces crab claw meat
• 1 quart chicken or veggie broth, divided
• 1 large vidalia onion, diced
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 5 cloves garlic, roasted
• 1 Tbsp. fresh sage leaves finely chopped, or 1 Tsp. dried sage
• 1 heaping Tsp of Cayenne (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus extra for roasting the garlic
• Crusty artisan bread of your choice (I like sourdough)
• a few tbsp of unsalted butter

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Peel off most of the papery outer layers of a head of garlic, chop about 1/4" off the top, drizzle generously with olive oil, wrap in tin foil and roast for 1/2 hour. You’ll only need 4 or 5 cloves for the soup, so save the rest to mash up with butter for the crusty bread. Or just spread it on without the butter if you really love garlic. I really do. :)
2. Heat olive oil in a large 5 qt pot over med/high heat, add squash, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and if you are using dried, the sage. Saute 5 min.
3. Add 3 cups of the chicken or veggie broth, reduce the heat to med/low, cover the pot and simmer for about 30 min. until the squash is tender.
4. Add cream and puree with an immersion blender if you have one of those. If you don’t I highly recommend purchasing one. Alternately you can puree the soup in batches in your blender, but be CAREFUL it’s hot! Thin with remaining broth if necessary. (I used all the broth at this point and it turned out great)
5. Fold in the crab meat and if you are using fresh, the sage. Salt and pepper and cayenne to taste. Serve with toasted crusty bread with garlic spread. Enjoy!