Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

From The New Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas

serves four, with additional helpings, or six with single servings

This is a fantastic soup and I practically memorized the recipe after cooking it once*, it's that easy. I served it with a green salad and little open-faced cheddar cheese toasts on a baguette.

10 ounce butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, cubed (about 1 pound before preparing)

10 ounce yam or sweet potato, peeled, cubed

2 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth (as you like)

1 1/2 cups water

1 stick cinnamon

3/4 t salt

2 T butter

2 onions, thinly sliced

3 pears, peeled and thinly sliced

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup half and half

Combine the squash, yams, and stock, water, cinnamon stick and salt in an adequately-sized pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to maintain a healthy simmer until the vegetables are mushy, about 30-40 minutes depending on your simmer setting preferences. Discard the cinnamon stick.

Meanwhile, slowly caramelize the onions in the butter. (If you like onions, as I do, you will know what I mean when I say I wanted to lick the pan during this phase. Of course I didn't, so I fortunately still have tastebuds.) When the onions sweetly, gently, have browned, add the pears and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer for 10 minutes.

Mix all aforementioned ingredients in one pot and pulverize with a stick blender, or puree (as needed, in multiple increments) in a traditional standing blender. Mix in creme. Serve, eat, and be transported into a very happy gastronomical place.

Add seasonings or edible accessories to your liking, for example:

• a splash of orange juice
• a dash of ground white pepper
• a sprinkle of curry powder
• a garnish of minced chives or green onions
• a crumble of toasted nuts

*I should say I actually have cooked it twice. The first time I didn't have, like, half of the proper ingredients, so it turned out to be a butternut squash puree akin to the baby food I used to make for Claire. Not bad, but also not this recipe. The items I would have left out of or messed up in the transcription above without consulting the recipe were the amounts of liquids, the cinnamon stick, and salt, hence "practically memorized" but not "actually memorized."