Roasted Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

I'll be honest, I gank recipes all the time. Yup, I steal them, and then I make them, and then I share them with you.  But, let's be honest, much like reading a customer review on Amazon, wouldn't you rather have someone else learn first that all the work you're putting into a soup is worth it, than spend an hour doing it yourself only to find out it was mediocre?  I'm here to serve you people, and you're welcome!

I stole this particular recipe from The Best of Clean Eating 3, which my husband bought me for Christmas.  I had been so busy with getting my Beachbody business up and running that I hadn't had much time to jump into the books, but I think he and I are both getting sick of our baked salmon and asparagus, so I'm starting to attack these bad Larry's like a beast.  I also think that the desire to make this came from the fact that my restaurant, Gibbet Hill Grill, switched our seasonal soup from a Butternut Squash to a Potato and Vermont Cheddar, and this left me depressed and craving the old soup.  Much like a 10 year child I was like, "Fine, take it off the menu, but I'm gonna go home and make my own!  AND, I'll make it healthier! SO THERE!"

So, that's what I did!

Ingredients:

- 2 firm pears (such as Anjou), peeled, cored and chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 3 tsp olive oil, divided
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- pinch each sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 3 c. low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1/4 c. fat-free plain yogurt for garnish (optional)
- pinch of nutmeg for garnish (optional)




Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a roasting pan, combine pears and squash.  Drizzle with 1 1/2 tsp oil, toss to coat, then spread out to cover bottom of pan, allowing for some overlap.  Roast in oven, uncovered, until squash begins to brown and soften, about 20-30 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat remaining 1 1/2 tsp oil on medium.  Add onion, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Saute until onion is softened and golden in color, 3-4 minutes.  Add pear-squash mixture and broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

3.  Using a hand blender or upright blender, puree mixture until smooth, about 45 to 60 seconds.  (NOTE: If using an upright blender, work in small, cooled batches to avoid scalding.  Then return to saucepan on low until reheated.)  Garnish each serving with yogurt, and nutmeg if desired.

Nutrients per 3/4-cup serving: Calories: 120, Total Fat: 4.5 g, Sat. Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 17 g, Fiber: 3 g, Sugars: 8 g, Protein: 4 g, Sodium: 65 mg, Cholesterol: 0 mg