The nights are getting colder and the days a little shorter. We’ve had a couple frosts here in SE Ohio, not too bad for Mid-October. Last weekend I spent some time collecting the last of the summer veggies out of the garden. Time to retire the beds to rest for the long winter.

We had a very nice harvest of Butternut Squash from the one vine we planted earlier this year. I decided to use some of it to prepare an amazing looking soup I saw in the November/December issue of Natural Health Magazine. It was pretty good stuff! Hubby and both kids gobbled it up! Since my infant son enjoyed it so much I froze a portion of the leftovers to use as his baby food in the coming weeks.

Butternut Squash, Parsnip, and Pear Soup

(Recipe adapted from Natural Health, November/December 2012)

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 2 butternut squashes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ dice
• 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into 1/2″ dice
• 1/2 onion, peeled and cut into 1/2″ dice
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tbs unsalted butter
• 1 D’Anjou or Bartlett pear, peeled and cut into 1/2″ dice
• 1 tsp sugar
• Dash of parsley or another favorite herb for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat canola oil in a large stock pot over high heat. I used a large cast iron dutch oven.
2. Add the squash and saute until golden around the edges, about 5 minutes.
3. Add parsnip and continue to cook over high heat until the parsnip begins to color, about 3 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to low, add the onion and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions soften.
5. Stir in paprika, cinnamon, and sea salt.
6. Add 1 cup of stock and deglaze the pot (use spoon to loosen all the bits from the bottom of the pot). Add the remaining 2 cups of stock. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
7. While the soup is cooking, heat butter in a skillet over medium-high heat (I use cast iron). Add the pear and toss to coat. Stir in the sugar. Let the pears caramelize and then stir until golden. Set aside.
8. When the soup is ready add the pears and their juices to the pot. Puree half of the soup in a blender (careful, it’s hot!) and add back to the pot. Stir to combine.
9. Serve soup garnished with parsley or another favorite herb.