Soup season is out in full force so I'm super excited to be making them throughout all of the winter months. I know I keep raving about my Farm Fresh to You box but it really helps with inspiration. The more I think about it, it's kind of like being on one of those many food competition shows where you must use an ingredient from the box and create something out of it. I believe that a really underutilized winter squash is the sugar pie pumpkin. These are not like jack-o-lanterns in the sense that you're suppose to remove their guts and carve a face into the side. These are specifically meant for roasting and consuming their deliciously buttery flesh! I also used two different pears from the box as well, to mix up the flavors slightly.
Ingredients:
- 1 sugar pie pumpkin
- 2 bosc pears
- 2 french butter pears
- 3 onions
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 T olive oil
- 4 1/2 c vegetable stock
- salt and pepper
- green onions for garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Using a sharp knife, slice pumpkin into manageable pieces.
2. Remove the flesh. In a baking dish, elevate the pumpkins off the dish. Fill with 1/4 inch water around the dish. Rub with a touch of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30-40 minutes until flesh is soft.
3. With the saved pumpkin seeds. Let them dry on some paper towel and pat dry.
4. Dice the fresh garlic.
5. Dice the onions. Does not need to be perfect because everything will be blended.
6. Peel the pears.
7. Cut into fourths and remove the stems and seeds.
8. On a lined baking sheet, spread out the slices pears and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 20-25 minutes until pears of soft and beginning to brown slightly.
9. In a large pot, add onions, garlic, and olive oil. On medium-high heat sauté the onions until they begin to soften but not caramelize.
10. Add the vegetable stock to the pot and begin to bring to a boil.
11. Remove the roasted pumpkin and roasted pear from the oven.
12. Remove the flesh from the pumpkin rinds.
13. Chop pears into large chunks.
14. Add to the pot and bring to a boil.
15. Once at a boil, lower the heat to low and keep at a simmer. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes until all the flavors have melted together.
16. On a non-stick baking sheet, toast the pumpkin seeds with a touch of salt for 7-10 minutes until the seeds are brown but not burnt.
17. In a blender, add the contents of the soup and the broth. Blend until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
18. Dice the green onions for garnish.
19. Sprinkle with green onions and the toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve with a delicious pretzel roll.
This soup is really creamy for not having any cream type base in the soup. The pumpkin and pears break down nicely in the blender and since there are so few ingredients they each get to shine with each bite. The cinnamon is a great little add to bring a little spice to the sweetness of the pears and pumpkin and the vegetable stock and salt add the balance that is needed. It was so good that I ate it as a midnight snack and didn't feel guilty at all.
Cheers,
Kate
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