Curried Butternut and Pear Soup

This is a delicious soup I made on Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

• 1 (2 pound) butternut squash (I used two smaller squashes)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I use the pre-chopped.)
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth
• 2 firm ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1/2 cup half and half
• You can substitute oil for the butter and soy milk for the half and half, and make this recipe vegan.

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

2.Poke the butternut all over with a fork.

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3. Roast the squash for half an hour, flip it, and roast for another half hour. While the squash is roasting, dice the onion, the pears, and the ginger. (The garlic, too, if you are using fresh.)

 4. Saute the pear, onion, garlic, ginger, and curry. I add the curry when some of the liquid has been released from the mirepoix.

5. Cover this mixture with the half the vegetable stock, and boil it until the pears are cooked through.

6. Peel the butternut while it is still warm. Doing it this way is very easy, and reduces waste. Remove the seeds. You can wash and toast the seeds, and use them as a garnish for the soup, if you wish. Add the cooked squash to the pot, add the rest of the stock, and bring it up to temperature.

7. When the mixture is hot, puree it in small batches in a food processor or blender, until it's smooth, and return it to the pot.  I hate to have to insult intelligence of a few for the safety of the populace, but REMEMBER TO VENT THE BLENDER OR FOOD PROCESSOR. For a blender, put the cover on, pop out the middle of the top, and hold a rag or paper towels loosely over the top. For a processor, take out the plunger, dummy?

8. Add the half and half, bring the soup up to temperature, and enjoy!

Love, Peace, and Bacon Grease!