Thanksgiving Day Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Thanksgiving Day Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

It can be hard to wait for dinner, but it's far easier if you have a really great soup to nosh on while you are cooking. Right? This roasted butternut soup has become a staple in our house over the last few years, and once you make it you'll see why. The combination of the pear and the squash is quite amazing, and you'll find yourself wanting seconds. But remember, even though it doesn't use sugar, maple syrup is a sugar so keep the cup fulls to a minimum.

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Soup 

Ingredients: 
2 medium butternut squash
1⁄4 cup (50 mL) grade B maple syrup, divided
3 tbsp (15 mL) coconut oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 ripe Bartlett pear, peeled and sliced
31⁄2 - 4 cups (875 mL - 1 L) vegetable broth
1⁄2 tsp (2 mL) sage
pinch cinnamon
pinch salt
1 cup (250 mL) coconut milk half and half cream or whipping cream

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Cut squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds and place cut-side-up on a rimmed baking sheet or in
a 9"x13" pan. Drizzle with half the maple syrup and roast for about an hour, until tender and
golden on top. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
3. In a large soup pot, heat the 2 tbsps coconut oil and sauté the onion for about 5
minutes, until translucent. Add the pear and cook for another minute or two, until the
fruit softens.
4. Meanwhile, peel the squash and coarsely chop it. Add to the onions and pear along with the broth,
sage, cinnamon and salt. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to med-low, cover and simmer
20-25 minutes, until the squash is very tender.
5. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of coocnut oil and the coconu tcream and puree in the pot using a hand-held immersion blender. Alternately, you can transfer it in batches to a blender to puree, then return to
the pot.
6. Enjoy :-)