Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

3 lbs Butternut Squash 1/4 cup Canola Oil

3 Tea Kosher Salt

White Pepper

1/4 Cup Crushed Walnuts

1/2 cup Yellow Onion (Medium Dice)

1/2 Cup Cored, Peeled Pear (Medium Dice)

1/2 Cup Riesling or Full Bodied White Wine

5 1/2 Cups Vegetable Stock (Homemade or Store Bought)

2 Tea Honey

1/2 Cup Crumbled Blue cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 Degree.  Cut off the end of the squash.  Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and strings with a spoon.  Rub the cut sides lightly with the canola oil, season with salt and pepper, and place cut-side down on a cookie sheet.  Roast until tender about an hour tender to a knife tip.  When cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh should have about 3 cups of squash.

Put the nuts in a saute pan and toast over medium heat, until fragrant, 2 to 3 mins. Set aside

Pour 2 Tbl of oil in a large pot and heat over medium heat.  Add the onion, pear, and pinch of salt  and cook without browning for 20 mins.  Pour in the Riesling and cook, scraping up any bits stuck in the pot, cook until wine is reduced by two-thirds about 5 mins.  Pour in the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the roasted squash.  Lower the heat and simmer for 30 mins.

When soup is don, pour into blender in batches and blend until smooth.  Season with salt and add the honey.  Strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer; if a little thick, add a few Tbl of water to thin out the soup.  It should just coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Garnish soup with blue cheese and toasted Nuts