Rosemary Butternut Squash Pear Soup

This Rosemary Butternut Squash Pear Soup is the most delicious autumn luncheon or dinner party recipe to serve as a side dish or an entree!

I love it when I take the time to shop at the Farmer’s Market, or browse through the produce aisles at the grocery store. What I really enjoy, is taking the time (yes, it takes a few minutes out of our busy schedules) to strike up a conversation with one of the produce workers, or another fellow food lover in the store, and come up with a good recipe idea! I have a favorite store downtown Bend, Newport Avenue Market, and the produce is so gorgeous. Sometimes I just stand there for a few moments, and take it all in …

We’ve been cooking up a storm with garden squash, making soups, main dishes, crockpot meals, grilling. You name it, squash is so good. I love my friend Gina’s site, Skinnytaste, and all of her lasagna recipes (pasta replaced by squash), like these 2, Zucchini Lasagna, and Veggie Lasagna Zucchini Boats. By the way, Gina has a brand new book coming out, Skinnytaste Fast and Slow: Knockout Quick-Fix and Slow Cooker Recipes, and you can pre-order your copy now!

Rosemary Butternut Squash Pear Soup

Real food is simply scrumptious. Today my recipe combines a butternut squash and 2 pears. It’s really that easy! My daughter Abby made this several times for us over the summer.

You also don’t need any fancy-schmancy cooking skills to create a good soup. You need spices and herbs, stock, and then either veggies or meat or grains. Most combinations, stirred together with peak-season veggies (or in this case, delicious pears), are quite simple and full of flavor.

And serve it with your favorite bread or flatbread.

You also pay less when you buy fresh, and when you buy local, not only do you keep your hard-earned money in the community, but you can go ahead and ask questions to find out where the food has come from and how it was raised.

Here are a few of my favorite soup recipes here on RE: Pear Potato Soup (and my suprise trip to Downton Abbey in London!), and Minestrone Soup.

Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you have a lovely weekend. And thanks to Miss Abs, who’s now up at college, for this yummy recipe!

Rosemary Butternut Squash Pear Soup

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 whole cubed butternut squash
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 2 large pears, peeled and chopped
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix the butternut, olive oil, rosemary, cinnamon and salt in large bowl.
3. On a foil-lined baking sheet, spread the squash mixture evenly. Bake for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender with a fork.
4. In large pan over medium heat, add olive oil. When hot, add shallots, allowing them to cook until slightly golden. Add remaining pears, chicken stock, and syrup. Bring to a boil.
5. In a food processor or blender, add squash mixture and pear-shallot broth mixture. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with more salt if needed.
6. Serve in soup bowls with a dollop of sour cream; garnish with rosemary.

All images and text ©Sandy Coughlin for Reluctant Entertainer.