Tasty Fall Soup Recipe

Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

This comes from "The New Vegetarian Epicure" by Anna Thomas

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound butternut squash (or acorn squash), (about 10 ounces trimmed and seeded)
1 large yam
2 cups vegetable broth
1 1 2 cups water (should read "one and one-half cups water")
1 stick cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium onions, sliced
3 large Anjou or Bartlett pears
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup half and half
white pepper to taste
chives or cilantro (optional)

Directions:

Peel, seed, and dice the squash. Peel and dice the yam. Put them both in a pot with the vegetable broth, water, cinnamon stick, and salt, and simmer until tender, about 40 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick.

Melt the butter and gently cook the onions in it, stirring occasionally, until it begins to carmelize. Peel, core, and thinly slice the pears, and add them to the onions. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the wine, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the pear mixture to the soup, and puree everything in a blender in batches. Add the cream and some white pepper. Heat the soup again just to a simmer, but do not boil. Serve plain, or garnished with chopped chives or sprigs of cilantro.

(Thanks! Charlee)