April's Wintry Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

This morning was the first day I could see my breath while walking the Fitness pups around my apartment complex. The cold has come, it seems for good in Wilmington. Lucky for me, I had a sweet member drop by some homemade vegetarian soup on Saturday and I can't wait to heat it up again for lunch today. Saturday was a rainy, cold day, perfect for soup making, she said. This is April's very own recipe, perfect served cold with a bit of nutmeg or hot with a dollop of nonfat plain greek yogurt or fat free sour cream.

Here's what you'll need:

4-5 cups of vegetable stock

1 Butternut Squash 2-4 pounds

1-2 Pears (1 pear for every 2lbs of squash)

5-10 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half (5 cloves for every 2lbs of squash)

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Peel and cube butternut squash into 1/2 inch cubes.
3. Quarter and cut pear into pieces.
4. Place squash and pear pieces into large bowl with garlic pieces.
5. Coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss until well coated. 
6. Place on baking sheet in a single layer. (1 sheet for 2lbs of squash).
7. Bake at 425 degrees for 45-60 minutes until super fork tender. 
8. In a blender, puree 1 cup of stock with two spatula scoops of cooked squash and pear combo. Add more stock if necessary to puree completely. Soup should be thick. 
9. Continue blending in batches until all is pureed. 
10. Store in a large container in the fridge until ready to eat. 

Serve cold or heat in microwave or on the stove top on low heat. Enjoy with a sprinkle of nutmeg and/or a dollop of plain greek yogurt. 

This recipe couldn't have come at a better time! Not only is it healthy and vegetarian friendly (vegan without the dollop of greek yogurt), it is thick, filling and super savory. Thanks for sharing, April!

The rest of my day is teaching and then heading out to the gym to try a new cycling class this evening. I hope your Monday is a good one!

Share with us:

Do you have any seasonal recipes you only use in the Winter?