Soup = Acorn Squash + Sunflower Seed & Lemon Pesto + Grilled Pear

"Inverbrook Farm has acorn squash in its CSA share this week, so I thought I'd do a soup, one that was representative of the transition from summer to fall. The lemon and sunflower seed pesto adds a nice bright acidity to the dish and it complements the acorn squash well." - Corey


makes about 1 gallon

what you need:

for the soup:

Acorn Squash, 3 large, split in half 

Cinnamon, ground, 1/2 tsp.
Onion, 1 cup, med diced
Butter, 3 Tbsp.
Vegetable stock, 1 gallon 

Apple Cider, 1 quart
Pears, peeled, med diced, 3 each 

Kosher Salt, to taste

White Pepper, ground, pinch


for the pesto:
Italian Parsley, 1 cup
Mint, 1/4 cup
Watercress (or spinach), 1 cup packed
Shallot, 1 each

Garlic Clove, 1 each
Sunflower Seeds, toasted, 1/2 cup
Parmesan, grated, 1/2 cup
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1/2 cup
Lemon Zest, from 1 lemon
Fresh Lemon Juice, 3 Tbsp.
Kosher Salt, to taste

for garnish:

Pear, sliced 1/4 inch thick, 3 each

Olive Oil, 1 Tbsp.

Kosher Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Sunflower Seeds, toasted, as needed

how you make it:
1. In a bowl, toss the cut squash with the ground cinnamon, salt, and olive oil. 
2. Roast in the oven at 375 degrees until tender.