Squash and Pear Soup (v)

Ingredients

• 1 chopped leek
• 1 tbs grated ginger
• 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut in chunks
• 2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and chopped
• 4 C vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Sour cream and toasted pumpkin seeds (Garnish)

Directions

1. Sauté the leek and ginger in a little oil in a large pot until tender.
2. Add the butternut squash, pears, and chicken broth and season to taste with salt and pepper
3. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes until squash is tender.
4. Cool slightly, then purée until smooth. Garnish with sour cream and toasted pumpkin seeds. Makes 8 cups.

Chef's Notes

• As written, this is a vegetarian recipe. Omitting the sour cream will make it vegan
• While I don't mind, not everyone likes wrestling with a butternut squash - bagged cubed squash will work fine