Roasted Butternut and Pear Soup With Curry

6-8 Servings

1 medium butternut squash
3 medium ripe pears
1 small onion, diced
2 Tbs unsalted butter
2 tsp curry paste, medium heat
2 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream, heated
1/4 cup of Crème Fraiche or sour cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
1. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds.

2. To roast the squash, spray a baking pan and line with foil. Place the squash flat sides down. Put the pan in the oven and roast until the squash is fork tender (about 40-50 minutes).

3. When the squash is cooked, allow it to cool for 10 minutes.

4. While the squash is cooking, peel and core the pears. Dice into _ inch pieces and set aside.

5. In a cold sauté pan, heat the butter and the onions over medium heat. And cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.

6. Add the curry paste and the pears, and sauté for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

7. Remove the outer skin from the squash.

8. Put the cooked squash and the onion and pear mixture into a food processor. Add stock and process until smooth. With the motor running, add the heavy cream. You many need to do this in batches. Add more stock if the soup is too thick for your liking. Season with salt and pepper.

9. Reheat the soup if necessary, ladle into soup bowls and garnish by putting a dollop of Crème Fraiche onto each serving.

From Liz Barbour
The Creative Feast
www.thecreativefeast.com
(603) 465-6929