Roasted Pear-Butternut Soup with Crumbled Stilton

Here pears are roasted to sweet perfection with butternut squash and pureed to create a creamy soup that gets a luxurious garnish of Stilton cheese. You can serve this as a first course or with a salad and crusty bread for a light autumn supper.

6 servings, 1 1/3 cups each

Active Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 1/4 hours

Ingredients

2 ripe pears, peeled, quartered and cored
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 medium tomatoes, cored and quartered
1 large leek, pale green and white parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced and washed thoroughly
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 cups vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
2/3 cup crumbled Stilton, or other blue-veined cheese
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh chives, or scallion greens

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Combine pears, squash, tomatoes, leek, garlic, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a large bowl; toss to coat. Spread evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 40 to 55 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Place half the vegetables and 2 cups broth in a blender; puree until smooth. Transfer to a large saucepan. Puree the remaining vegetables and 2 cups broth. Add to the pan and stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Cook the soup over medium-low heat, stirring, until hot, about 10 minutes. Divide among 6 bowls and garnish with cheese and chives (or scallion greens).

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Add more broth when reheating, if desired.

Nutrition

Per serving: 235 calories; 10 g fat ( 5 g sat , 5 g mono ); 11 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 6 g fiber; 721 mg sodium; 700 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (350% daily value), Vitamin C (70% dv), Potassium (21% dv), Calcium (20% dv)
Carbohydrate Servings: 2
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 fruit, 2 fat