Roasted Pear Butternut Squash For Soup

For a festive presentation, seed medium-size acorn squash or small sugar pumpkins and roast until just tender, then ladle soup into squash or pumpkin shells.

3 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 1/2 pounds firm-ripe pears (Anjou or Bartlett), peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large (12-ounce) sweet onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces Gouda, cut into 8 pieces
Thyme sprigs, for garnish

1.Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss squash, pears, and onion with oil in a large roasting pan until evenly coated. Roast 45 to 50 minutes, tossing several times, until lightly caramelized and tender.

2.Transfer mixture to a Dutch oven. Using an immersion blender, puree with broth until smooth (or blend in batches in a blender); season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate up to 3 days before serving.

3.To serve, reheat soup until piping hot, thinning with extra broth if necessary. Ladle into roasted squash shells or bowls and top with a piece of blue cheese. Garnish with thyme sprigs.

Serves: 8