Pear and Curry Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 2 large stalks celery, roughly chopped
• 1-2 Tablespoons curry powder (see recipe notes)
• salt to taste
• 2 pears, cored and roughly chopped
• 1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/4-1 1/2 pounds) peeled, seeded and cut into 1” cubes
• 3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 ounces crème fraîche (about 1/2 cup), plus extra for garnish
• 1/4 cup pepitas, for garnish (optional) what are pepitas?
• Black pepper, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and begins to brown, about 3 minutes.

2. 2

   Stir in curry powder with a generous pinch of salt.

3. 3

   Add chopped pears, butternut squash, and chicken stock to the pot and stir to combine.

4. 4

   Add another pinch of salt, then bring the pot to a low simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the vegetables and pears are cooked through and very soft, about 40-60 minutes. Note: The exact cook time will depend on the size of your squash pieces, the size of the pot, etc. When the soup is ready to be blended, the squash should be easily pierced with a fork.

5. 5

   Turn off the heat, then use an immersion blender to carefully blend the soup until smooth. Always use caution when blending hot liquids.

6. 6

   Add crème fraîche to soup and give it another zap with the immersion blender to blend everything together.

7. 7

   Taste soup. Stir in additional salt and/or curry powder if needed.

8. 8

   Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with crème fraîche, pepitas, and a few turns of cracked black pepper, and serve immediately.