roasted pear and delicata squash soup

fall is the season for soups made of squash and fruit. last year i posted about a butternut and apple soup-- this time, it's roasted pear and delicata squash, and it's scrumptious. i can always tell how well rob likes something i've cooked by whether or not he reaches over and rubs my leg while he eats-- this soup got two pats! he had the best description of it, too, that it tasted like something starbucks would brew up as a seasonal drink. he then astutely observed, "i feel like i need something to make me not feel like i should be drinking this out of a mug. maybe some croutons floating in it or something?" well, as a matter of fact, rob, the original recipe called for just that!

the soup is rich, delicate, and charmingly, lightly sweet. because the squash and pear flavors are fairly subdued, i can't imagine this soup with overpowering store-bought broth. i'd only use homemade, or substitute water. we had it with a fresh loaf of bread, but making some rustic croutons really would be a great addition.

roasted pear and delicata squash soup
serves 2-4
from pear and delicata soup with parmesan croutons

1 1lb delicata squash
1 pear
olive oil
2 cups homemade chicken or vegetable stock, or water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp sugar
freshly grated nutmeg
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
grated parmesan cheese

preheat oven to 400 degrees.

cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. cut pear in half lengthwise and core. rub squash and pear flesh with olive oil, and roast, cut side down, about 30 minutes, or until tender. cool.

scrape the flesh out of the squash and pear and process it in food processor until smooth. add some of the stock or water to the processor and puree. move squash mixture to a soup pot and stir in the remaining broth, the cream, sugar, and nutmeg to taste. bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmering, 10 minutes. season to taste with salt and pepper. (i added close to a couple of teaspoons of salt because, again, these flavors are pretty mild.)

serve with fresh grated pepper and parmesan cheese, and/or crunchy croutons.


sources:
delicata squash from boistfort valley farm
pear from martin family orchards