Roasted Butternut soup with Pears

As I write this post, my teeth are chattering and my knees are shaking. It’s officially Winter! It’s been chilly for the last couple of weeks but this morning, my hot tea doesn’t seem to have the same power as it did a few weeks ago. But don’t think I’m complaining, not for a second! I’m a good and proper Winter baby. Born in the middle of Winter must surely have an effect on how you feel about the season and I just absolutely love it. By August I start yearning for the freshness and ‘lightness’ of Summer but other than that, I love everything about Winter.

I especially love that I can make flavourful and comforting soups like this to feed the family. Instead of just cooking the butternut and pears in the stock, I decided to roast them to add lots of deep flavour. After roasting, I allowed them to simmer in vegetable stock (you could also use chicken stock if you prefer) for 10 minutes with a bay leaf, sauteed onions and garlic and then quickly blitzed them with my hand blender before serving with the most delicious Gorgonzola toasts.

I made a creamy ‘spread’ with Gorgonzola and double cream to top home-made ciabatta toast and they were the perfect accompaniment to the smooth and slightly sweet soup. Perfect for a lazy Winter supper. (Freeze the left-overs for a quick lunch option)

For the recipe for Butternut & Pear soup, visit Simply Delicious