Roasted Pear-Butternut Soup with Crumbled Stilton

Here pears are roasted to sweet perfection with butternut squash and pureed to create a creamy soup that gets a luxurious garnish of Stilton cheese. You can serve this as a first course or with a salad and crusty bread for a light autumn supper.

2 ripe pears, peeled, quartered and cored

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks

2 medium tomatoes, cored and quartered

1 large leek, pale green and white parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced and washed thoroughly

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

4 cups vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided

2/3 cup crumbled Stilton, or other blue-veined cheese

1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh chives, or scallion greens

Step 1
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Step 2
Combine pears, squash, tomatoes, leek, garlic, 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.

Step 3
Place half the vegetables and 2 cups broth in a blender; puree until smooth. Transfer to a large saucepan. Puree the remaining vegetables and 2 cups broth. Add to the pan and stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Step 4
Cook the soup over medium-low heat, stirring, until hot, about 10 minutes. Divide among 6 bowls and garnish with cheese and chives (or scallion greens).