Gingered Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 4.5 pounds butternut squash 
• 0.5 teaspoon curry powder 
• 1 cup half-and-half fat-free
• 28 ounce less-sodium chicken broth fat-free divided canned
• 1 tablespoon ginger fresh minced peeled
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander 
• 0.1 teaspoon ground pepper red
• 1.5 tablespoons honey 
• 1.5 cups onion chopped ( 1 large)
• 1 cup pears cored peeled chopped ( 1 large)
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• sieve
• blender
• aluminum foil
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 37
2. Cut squash in half lengthwise.
3. Remove seeds. Reserve seeds for toasting.
4. Place squash, cut sides down, on a jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray.
5. Bake at 375 for 50 minutes or until skin pierces easily with a fork. Scoop out pulp; set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 32
6. To toast seeds, rinse seeds and pat dry.
7. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
8. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned, stirring every 5 minutes.
9. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium- high heat.
10. Add onion, pear, and ginger. Saut 10 minutes or until tender.
11. Add squash pulp and 1 can broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.
12. Place mixture in a blender or food processor. Process in batches until smooth.
13. Pour mixture through a strainer into a bowl, pressing with the back of a spoon.
14. Return soup to Dutch oven.
15. Add 1 can broth, half-and-half, and next 5 ingredients. Cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated, stirring often. Spoon into serving bowls, and top with toasted seeds.