FIVE SPICED SQUASH, FENNEL AND PEAR SOUP

Yield: 6 to 8 Servings

One and one half pounds peeled butternut squash, cut in to large chunks

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

1 large Spanish onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, core removed, sliced thinly

3 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice Powder*

5 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets (with raised edges) with parchment paper.

Toss the squash with a small amount of oil and sprinkle it with salt. Put the prepared squash on one of the prepared baking sheet and slide it in the oven. Roast until the squash is softened and the outer edges browned to a light golden color, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Toss the sliced onion and fennel with a bit of olive oil. Scatter them on the second baking sheet. Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and the Five Spice Powder. Gently stir the vegetables to evenly distribute the spices. Place in the oven and roast until the onion and fennel soften and are beginning to brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Place the roasted squash and vegetables in a slow cooker or crock pot. Add the broth and peeled pears. Cover and set to cook on high. Allow the soup to simmer until the pears are completely softened, about one to two hours. Puree the soup directly in the slow cooker, using an immersion blender, taking care not to splatter the hot liquids.

Cover and heat through. Taste. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve in large bowls garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds and drizzled with a bit of heavy cream.

*Chinese Five Spice Powder is a blend of cinnamon, anise, fennel, ginger, clove and licorice root. It can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores.

Adapted from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan