A Fall Vegan Soup with Butternut Squash, Pear and Sage

I am not going through a fad phase, I promise. I am not becoming vegan or even vegetarian. When it comes to food abstinence, will, is NOT my strength! I am, however, toying with the idea of being more like a vegetarian who eats eggs, sea food and a smattering of meat. There isn't a name for that yet, is there?

There has been much going on in the last few days with travel, closing some long open threads and making real progress on future plans. I have running around quite a bit on little sleep and draining much reserves. Yet, in the midst of all the exciting frenzy, I felt relatively healthy and not as tired as I should have been. Then, I had an eureka moment... It was my diet.Thanks to the weekly CSA produce I have had in excess, the last few weeks, I have been consuming

more vegetables that I typically do

. And, that feels good, really good. So, I figured I should keep up that as much as I can.

And, the weather change, not so subtle as it has been, has just been perfect for it! There I was one day swamped by the sweltering heat as I was running around the city and the next day I was slapped in the face by a nasty nip in the air. All I wanted to do was go back in make myself soup, which, is well, what I did! :) I made a really simple and clean soup with butternut squash, pear and sage, that is heartily

vegan, bold in flavor and good for your soul

.

You'll see for yourself, how I fare with being

largely vegetarian

. Note, I said largely and not mostly.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

{for two}

1 small squash, halved and de-seeded

1 firm Bartlett pear, halved

handful of sage leaves

2 shallots, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp freshly ground five spice + more for garnish

1 cup almond milk

salt, pepper and olive oil as needed

Season each of the squash and pear halves with salt and pepper and arrange the sage leaves on them. Wrap each piece in foil and bake at 350F for 20 minutes until they are tender. Let them cool before handling.

Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan and saute the shallots and garlic until soft. Add the spices, salt and pepper to season. Add the roasted fruits, the almond milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and mash the squash and pear. Alternatively, you can puree in a processor. Simmer for 10 minutes and it is ready!

Serve garnished a fresh leaf of sage, a light drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of five spice.