Pumpkin & Roasted Pear Soup with Goat Cheese

After buying out what seemed like the entire Costco grocery section for our housewarming party last weekend, we have leftovers galore. Yogurt, bacon, pancakes, waffles, juice, fruit, you name it, it's in a zip lock bag or tupperware in our fridge. With that being said, I have had to get quite crafty with dinner so that we can use up what we've got before heading out on yet another grocery store run. This recipe is the perfect case in point. Leftover pears, ginger, and goat cheese paired perfectly with the can of organic pumpkin puree in my pantry, and I served the soup alongside some crispy jalapeno jack grilled cheese sandwiches. The soup is actually very light in flavor, which pairs perfectly with the rich goat cheese. Eating this made leftovers the very last thing on my mind! Plus we received these adorable soup bowls from my old roommate and her boyfriend as a housewarming gift, and just had to break them in right away!

Pumpkin & Roasted Pear Soup with Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 ripe pears, stemmed and cored then chopped
• 2 tbsp. butter, divided
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2-inch knob of ginger, finely minced
• 1 L chicken or vegetable stock
• crumbled goat cheese for garnish

Heat 1 tbsp. of the butter in a large skillet and add in the chopped pears. Cook for 5-7 minutes until they are softened. Place cooked pears aside in a bowl. In the same skillet, heat up the other tbsp. of butter and add in the onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook another 5-7 minutes until softened. Add in the minced ginger and stir, cooking for another minute. Add the cooked pears, onions, and ginger to a large soup pot. Add in the pumpkin puree and add the chicken broth until the mixture is just covered. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Use and immersion blender, or blend in batched in a standard blender, and whirl until smooth. Serve hot with crumbled goat cheese and some freshly cracked black pepper on top.