Autumn Squash and Pear Soup

  Photo by Melanie Hughes / Unsplash

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 acorn or 2 buttercup squash (or any assorted fall squash), about 4 pounds total, cut in half or quarters and seeded
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 4 cups (32 ounces) chicken broth, divided
• 2 pears, any variety, peeled and cored, cut into quarters
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Maple syrup for serving

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the squash cut-side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Bake for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, heat the second tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and onion and sauté for about 8 minutes or until the onion is softened. Set aside.
3. When the squash is fully cooked and cooled enough to handle, scoop it out of the skin and put half of it in the blender. Add 2 cups of the broth, pears, carrots, onion, salt, pepper, and cinnamon, in that order. Start the blender on low and process for 10 seconds, turning it to high and processing until velvety smooth.
4. Return the blended soup to the Dutch oven. Next, process the remaining squash and broth until smooth and add that to the pot as well. Warm the puréed soup on the stovetop until heated through. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup. Recipe serves 6.

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Recipes used with permission from Best Blender Recipes Ever by Rebecca French, The Countryman Press, a division of W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2016. All rights reserved.