Korean Pear and Butternut Squash Soup - Simple and Very Satisfying

You probably have a recipe for butternut squash soup.  When I did a Google search there were 3,820,000 results in 0.11 seconds, and maybe your recipe is one of them.  You may also have a recipe for butternut squash soup with Asian pears or some type of pear, because there were 183,000 results for this search, in 0.28 seconds.  Wow, we're drinking a lot of some kind of butternut squash soup if Google results are any indication.

However, I could not find even 1 recipe for Korean Pear and Butternut Squash Soup, and even though Korean pears are a kind of Asian pear, they are different in that they are specifically from Korea and the growing/picking process is very special.  Extreme care and optimal conditions produce a juicier, better-tasting pear than from other areas.  Check out this video to see how it's done: https://picasaweb.google.com/105460061448067690736/MelissaSKoreanPearProgression#slideshow/5673098657005944354

Using a butternut squash-Bartlett pear soup recipe from Vegetarian Times as a starting point, then switching out the B-pear for the super-juicy K-pear, substituting shallots in for leeks, going full fat instead of light on the coconut milk (that's what was in my pantry), and then lifting the soup up where it belongs with a couple of tablespoons of cream sherry, you have Korean Pear and Butternut Squash Soup - simple and very satisfying.  I  hope Google takes notice.

Korean Pear and Butternut Squash Soup                               
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium shallot, minced

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 Korean Pears, peeled and cubed (eating 2-3 slices now is fine)
5 cups vegetable broth
1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
1 tsp. fresh thyme
optional garnish:
coconut chips, lightly sweetened with agave syrup then toasted*

1.  Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium heat.
2.  Add the minced shallots and cook about 5 minutes until golden.
3.  Add the squash and pear cubes and saute 5 minutes.
4.  Add the vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
5.  Reduce heat and simmer the mixture about 30 minutes until squash is tender.
6.  Remove from the heat and add the coconut milk.
7.  Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture.
8.  Return the pot to the stove on low-medium heat for 3 minutes until the soup is reheated.
9.  Season with white pepper and salt.

*To make the toasted coconut garnish, start with unsweetened coconut chips, toss lightly with agave syrup, then toast until golden brown.  This makes them just slightly sweet and perfectly crunchy. 

You probably have a recipe for butternut squash soup.  When I did a Google search there were 3,820,000 results in 0.11 seconds, and maybe your recipe is one of them.  You may also have a recipe for butternut squash soup with Asian pears or some type of pear, because there were 183,000 results for this search, in 0.28 seconds.  Wow, we're drinking a lot of some kind of butternut squash soup if Google results are any indication.

However, I could not find even 1 recipe for Korean Pear and Butternut Squash Soup, and even though Korean pears are a kind of Asian pear, they are different in that they are specifically from Korea and the growing/picking process is very special.  Extreme care and optimal conditions produce a juicier, better-tasting pear than from other areas.  Check out this video to see how it's done: https://picasaweb.google.com/105460061448067690736/MelissaSKoreanPearProgression#slideshow/5673098657005944354

Using a butternut squash-Bartlett pear soup recipe from Vegetarian Times as a starting point, then switching out the B-pear for the super-juicy K-pear, substituting shallots in for leeks, going full fat instead of light on the coconut milk (that's what was in my pantry), and then lifting the soup up where it belongs with a couple of tablespoons of cream sherry, you have Korean Pear and Butternut Squash Soup - simple and very satisfying.  I  hope Google takes notice.

Korean Pear and Butternut Squash Soup                               
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium shallot, minced

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 Korean Pears, peeled and cubed (eating 2-3 slices now is fine)
5 cups vegetable broth
1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
1 tsp. fresh thyme
optional garnish:
coconut chips, lightly sweetened with agave syrup then toasted*

1.  Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium heat.
2.  Add the minced shallots and cook about 5 minutes until golden.
3.  Add the squash and pear cubes and saute 5 minutes.
4.  Add the vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
5.  Reduce heat and simmer the mixture about 30 minutes until squash is tender.
6.  Remove from the heat and add the coconut milk.
7.  Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture.
8.  Return the pot to the stove on low-medium heat for 3 minutes until the soup is reheated.
9.  Season with white pepper and salt.

*To make the toasted coconut garnish, start with unsweetened coconut chips, toss lightly with agave syrup, then toast until golden brown.  This makes them just slightly sweet and perfectly crunchy.