Easy Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Place butternut squash, onions, pears, tomatoes, and carrot in a large roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil on top. Season with pepper and nutmeg.

3. Roast in the preheated oven until squash is easily pierced with a knife, 1 to 2 hours. Cool until squash is easily handled, about 10 minutes.

4. Scoop flesh out of the squash with a spoon; place in a pot. Discard peel. Transfer roasted onions, pears, tomatoes, and carrot to the pot. Add 1 cup chicken stock. Puree mixture with an immersion blender until smooth.

5. Stir remaining 1 1/2 cups chicken stock into the pot. Heat soup until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.

Cook's Notes:

If you don't have an immersion blender, use a blender or food processor to blend the squash mixture in batches.

I cannot stress enough the flexibility of this recipe. Sometimes I use onions, sometimes leeks. If I don't have carrot I have used celery. If I have apples, I use them instead of pears. A 10-ounce can of diced tomatoes works also instead of the fresh tomatoes. Use vegetable stock if preferred. Sometimes I add cinnamon, ginger, or curry with a sour cream garnish (the curry is super fantastic!). Whatever I am in the mood for.

You can also cut the veggies and coat them in olive oil and place them in the fridge overnight, then roast them the next day. A great idea if you have company coming. This makes the house smell fantastic.