Winter Soup with Coconut Milk & Pear
- 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 1.5 cups thinly sliced Red Dog Onion
- 4 cups diced root vegetables (Red Dog carrots, root parsley, parsnips, turnips, celeriac)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped Red Dog Celery
- 1 cup thinly sliced Red Dog Chard
- 1 Tbs. peeled, minced fresh ginger
- 2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 medium clove garlic, finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 cups stock
- 2 lbs. Red Dog Pumpkin or Squash, diced (3.5 cups)
- 2 medium firm-ripe Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and chopped
Melt the butter in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the onion, root vegetables, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in the chard, ginger, thyme, garlic, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chard begins to soften, about 3 minutes.
Add the coconut milk, broth, and the squash and pears to the vegetables. Bring the mixture just to a boil over medium heat, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook at a bare simmer, stirring occasionally, until the squash is very soft, 20 minutes.
Purée with an immersion blender in the Dutch oven or in batches in a regular blender. If the soup is too thick, add more chicken broth until thinned to your liking. Season to taste with salt and pepper.