A Lovely Winter Soup

This is a delicious soup to serve on a cold rainy winter night.  All of the fresh ingredients are seasonal and very flavorful.  Serve this with a salad of mixed greens and you have a very filling and healthy meal. 

Squash, Parsnip and Pear Winter Soup 

1 Butternut Squash

3 Bosc Pears

1 large white onion

2 Parsnips

¼ cup coarsely chopped pecans

2 Tbs. Butter

2 c. rice milk (any kind will work, that’s just what I had)

2 c. vegetable broth

1 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. fresh sage

2 tsp. caraway seeds

Shaved Parmesan

1 leftover baguette

Preheat the oven to 350F. 

Halve and de-seed the squash and chop the parsnips. You can peel the squash and parsnip, but I never do; the skin on vegetables is full of nutrients.  Place halved squash and chopped parsnip on a rimmed baking sheet.  Brush oil on squash and parsnips and put in oven for 45 minutes.   In the meantime, prepare the rest of your ingredients and make croutons. 

To make croutons, slice baguette into ¼ inch thick slices.  Melt 1 tablespoon of butter (I did it in the microwave) and brush each slice of bread with the butter.  Finely chop the sage and sprinkle on the bread, reserving some sage for the soup. To prevent the sage from burning and to add flavor, place a thin slice of parmesan over each slice of bread. 

While the vegetables are still in the oven, chop onion and slice pears.  To toast pecans and caraway seeds, first heat a sauté pan.  Once hot, add caraway seeds and stir the seeds until they are fragrant and release their aromas.  Do the same with the pecans.

After 45 minutes in the oven, the squash and parsnips should be soft and a little brown on top.  After done baking, cut the roasted squash into chunks, careful not to burn your hands.   Place bread slices on the same hot pan and place in oven for 10 minutes.

To begin making soup, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in large pan until bubbly.  Add onion and cook until browning.  Add the roasted vegetables to the onions and cook until brown spots appear on everything.  Add the vegetable broth, milk, and pears leftover sage, and caraway seeds.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until all vegetables are soft.   With a potato masher, roughly mash everything together. 

Pour half of the mixture into the blender or food processor and blend until smooth.   Be cautious when working with hot liquids in a blender- make sure that you remove the top part (not the lid) and cover it with a paper towel with your hand.  If you don't, you might get an explosive mess in your kitchen!   Once blended, taste and adjust seasonings to your desire.

Serve hot with shavings of parmesan, croutons, and toasted pecans.