Not the finished product, but the key ingredient – butternut squash!

One of my late-stage CSA prizes was a beautiful butternut squash.  I had eaten butternut squash multiple times before but had never prepared one before, and let’s face it – the solid husk was a bit intimidating.  What was one to do?  Well, I like the sweet taste of this mild veggie, and I LOVE soup, so this recipe from Allrecipes.com was right up my alley – a sweet but hot curry butternut squash and pear soup.  Perfect for these brrrrrr cold days!

You will need:

• 1 (2 pound) butternut squash
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ginger powder
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth (if you use regular chicken broth, omit the salt listed above)
• 1 pear – peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch dice
• 1/2 cup half and half

1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper

2. Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membrane. Place squash halves, cut sides down, on the prepared baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven until very soft, about 45 minutes. Scoop the pulp from the peel, and reserve (first photo).

3. Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, and salt. Cook and stir until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes.

4. Pour the chicken broth into the pot, and bring to a boil.

5. Stir in the pears and the reserved squash, and simmer until the pears are very soft, about 30 minutes.

6. Using a hand blender, puree until mixture is is smooth (If you don’t have a hand blender, you can certainly use a regular one!)

7. Stir in the half and half, and reheat.

Voila!

This soup is hearty, rich, and aside from the half-and-half (for which you could substitute skim milk or yogurt if you wish), relatively healthy.  It was awesome to use a squash, pear and onion all from the CSA, but as I’m sure you’re aware, any grocery store butternut squash will do.  Whip up a batch of this delectable soup on a cold winter day – you won’t regret it!

Thus concludes my Veggie Resolution – to try and post 20 different veggie recipes this year! And I even have a week to spare, haha. As someone formerly “veggie averse” I can honestly say while veggies aren’t my FAVORITE food (my heart will always belong to cheese), it sure was fun to try all these new vegetables and recipes.  **Pats self on back** Now what resolution should I pursue next year? Hmmmm….

Check out my other Veggie Resolutions!  Which one was your favorite?

Veggie Resolution #1: Kale Chips

Veggie Resolution #2: Brussels Sprouts

Veggie Resolution #3: Baba Ganoush

Veggie Resolution #4: Chilled Cucumber Dill Soup

Veggie Resolution #5: Guacamole

Veggie Resolution #6: Asparagus Au Gratin

Veggie Resolution #7: Garlic Scape Pesto

Veggie Resolution #8: Sauteed Artichokes

Veggie Resolution #9: Kohlrabi

Veggie Resolution #10: Pickles

Veggie Resolution #11: Squash, Potato and Goat Cheese Gratin

Veggie Resolution #12: Radishes

Veggie Resolution #13: Sweet and Savory Dino Kale

Veggie Resolution #14: Zucchini Pancakes

Veggie Resolution #15: How to Prepare Fava Beans

Veggie Resolution #16: Fava Bean and Mint Salad with Parmesan

Veggie Resolution #17: Chard with Oranges and Shallots

Veggie Resolution #18: Sunchokes

Veggie Resolution #19: Fried Green Tomatoes