Butternut Squash + Bartlett Pear Soup Recipe.

I love comfort food. When the days cool down and the nights are crisp, there's just something about a mug of hot soup. Following is my original recipe for Butternut Squash and Bartlett Pear Soup.

INGREDIENTS. 

large butternut squash (mine was about 6 pounds)
1-2 bartlett pears
2 onions
clove of garlic
1/2 cup of milk or cream (plus extra for pureeing squash)
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbs. parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375. Wash and cut the squash into quarters. Remove the seeds. Place on a baking sheet or bar pan skin side up and bake for 30 minutes. Flip squash, cover with foil, and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool until it is cool enough to be handled.

Meanwhile, wash and peel the pear(s) and the onions, and then chop. Mince the garlic. In a large soup pot, saute the pear, onion, and garlic in 1 Tbs. of butter until soft. Turn off the heat. Remove from pot and place in a blender. Blend until pureed. (It may need more fluid to be able to blend smoothly; if so add a bit of milk.) Return to pot.

When the squash is cool enough to be handled, cut away the skin. Chop the squash and put it in the blender to be pureed. Due to the size of the squash it will likely need to be pureed in batches and not all at once. Add a little bit of milk as needed to the blender to help it process the squash.

Add the pureed squash to the pot with the pear and onion. Also add the stock, milk, seasoning, and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.  

Cook over medium heat until warmed through and the flavors meld. Serve hot! I'm not sure, but my best guess is that this recipe should serve 6-8.

This soup pairs well with crusty bread and apple cider. Happy Autumn!