THis recipe is great, give yourself at least 30 minutes to make the candied pecans, the sugar takes a while to heat up and candy... and watch out for chunks of sugar because they'll hurt your teeth! I use less sugar in the dressing depending on how ripe the pears are. Otherwise, this is a great salad that even my very picky boyfriend will eat.

Reviewed On: Feb. 18, 2009

I made a few changes to this recipe. It has now become a favorite both of my family and at work! I used 2 medium butternut squash instead of 1. It gives a bit more volume for lunches or dinner the next night. I roasted a 2 in. piece of fresh ginger with the garlic. Instead of just using the 6 cups of broth I combined 2 cups of broth slowly while blening the squash, then while heating the soup with the seasonings I added 1 cup of heavy cream (it's MUCH better with a few extra calories) and 1 cup of coconut milk. I added about 2 cups more broth (I used chicken instead of vegetable) if the soup was a bit too thick. I felt that the brown sugar was not necessary so Idon't use it. I top the soup with light sour cream and finely chopped basil. I promise, this is the BEST.

Reviewed On: Feb. 18, 2009