Recipe: Butternut Squash & Pear Soup

The evenings here in Oakland have been especially chilly with frost creeping up on our windows.  To fight the chill that seems to invade my bones, I turn to a nice bowl of Butternut Squash and Pear Soup from Dave Liberman’s cookbook “Dave’s Dinners”.  It’s one of those recipes that you can start making in the Fall and continue to make large batches of through the winter months.  The taste of this soup instantly reminds me of cozy dens with fireplaces and snow falling on cedars……oh wait, that was a movie which I think starred Ethan Hawke who do you don’t see much of nowadays since his split with Uma.

Okay I am digressing…..this soup is soothing, warm and the perfect thing to whip up for a hearty lunch with a nice slab of bread with herb butter.  I have modified the recipe to fit my particular likes including adding a touch of heat with crushed red pepper and grated ginger……

Butternut Squash & Pear Soup

Ingredients

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter

2 large yellow onions, diced (approx 2-3 cups)

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks (1-2 inch in size)

4 pears (Bosc, Anjou, or Comice) peeled & chopped (reserve 1/2 cup for garnish)

1 quart reduced sodium chicken or vegetable stock

2 rosemary springs (whole)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon grated ginger

Salt

White Pepper

Directions

1) Heat butter in large pot over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until softened and starting to turn translucent (do not let onions brown).

2) Add squash and pears and cook 5 minutes.  Add stock making sure that all the ingredients are submerged.  If not, add water.

3) Add rosemary sprigs, ginger & crushed red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer for about 45 minutes or until squash and pears are fork tender.

4) Remove rosemary sprigs and add heavy cream. Puree in pot with immersion blender until smooth.  You can also use a blender but be sure to do in small batches.

5) Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with reserved chopped pear.

Notes:

– Do yourself a favor and buy your squash already peeled and diced.  Most grocery stores like Trader Joe or Whole Foods sell it for a nominal mark-up.

– If you would like a sweeter soup, substitute one Golden Delicious apple for one of the pears.  You won’t taste the apple but you will notice a brighter sweetness to the soup.

If you try the soup, shoot me an email and tell me how it turned out.  Also be sure to try out my other recipes!

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