A NEW FAVORITE - roasted pear and butternut squash soup

   I'm going to go out on a limb here and say... I think this is the best soup I have ever made.  Wow... I know, I can't believe I said that.  How can this soup, and the recipe that I just down-loaded from Cooking.com replace all of my tried and true favorites?  Well, I'll tell you... First of all, it's so easy.

   The pears, squash, tomatoes and leek are chopped into big chunks and roasted with a little olive oil until tender when pierced.  Cooled slightly, the fruits and vegetables are puréed with chicken broth, transferred to a saucepan and heated.  In addition, it's an extremely healthy soup.  I'm sure there are those of you who would opt to delete the blue cheese, but don't do it.  The sweet creaminess of the soup and the salty, richness of the blue cheese are a perfect combination... and that's the best part.  This soup is perfect with a salad and some really good bread on a chilly fall night.

   
                 

                   ROASTED PEAR and BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
                              adapted from a recipe in EatingWell magazine
                                                found on Cooking.com

• 2 large, or 3 small pears, peeled, cored and quartered
• 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch cubes
• 2 tomatoes, quartered
• 1 large leek, pale green and white parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced and washed thoroughly
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 cups organic chicken broth
• Approximately 2/3 cup of any blue-veined cheese (I use Maytag Blue), crumbled
• Thinly-sliced fresh chives

1.  Preheat oven to 400˚F.
2.  Combine pears, squash, tomatoes, leek, garlic, olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a large bowl; toss to coat.  Spread evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Roast, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 40 to 55 minutes.  Let cool slightly.
3.  Place half of the roasted vegetables into a blender containe, add enough of the chicken broth to make a thick purée and process until smooth.  Transfer to a large saucepan.  Repeat with the remaining vegetables.  Stir any remaining chicken broth into the the vegetable purée in the saucepan.  Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
4.  Cook the soup over medium-low heat, stirring until heated through, about 10 minutes.  Divide soup among bowls and garnish with the blue cheese and chives.