Easy Pear Potato Soup

Rich, creamy, and with a touch of sweetness, this easy Pear Potato Soup is elegant enough for dinner parties but still easy enough to enjoy for a weeknight lunch or dinner.

Inspired by a trip to London, Downtown Abbey’s final season, and by working with Grey Poupon, I created this simple and delightful soup. It’s so good and impressively easy you’ll feel like a chef when you present this soup to family and friends! 

Easy Pear Potato Soup

I can just imagine myself sitting in a fancy dress at a splendidly set table and enjoying this soup, much as they did in the show. And while this soup certainly does impress, it’s also hearty and satisfying, and ticks all the boxes for a good comfort food soup.

Why I love this recipe

• It’s got the heartiness of a potato soup but a touch of sweetness from the pears.
• This soup is easy to make, and it pairs with so many tasty dishes!
• It reminds me of Downtown Abbey dinner parties and my own dinner parties!
• It looks as amazing in a homey mug as in an elegant cream soup bowl garnished with creme fraiche.

Pears aren’t just for eating raw!

I love cooking with pears. They hold up really well when roasted with chicken, but they’re also delicious poached, or even served in cocktails! 

Gather these ingredients

• Butter
• Sweet onion – Peeled and chopped.
• Garlic – Pressed.
• Boiling potatoes – Peeled and cut into small cubes.
• Carrots – Cut into small pieces.
• Maple syrup – Use real syrup for the best flavor.
• Pears – Cored and cut into chunks.
• Salt – I use fine sea salt.
• Fresh thyme 
• Ground nutmeg
• Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
• Vegetable broth
• Creme Fraiche
• Red pepper flakes – Optional but a wee bit of spice is nice with this soup.

How to make this potato and pear soup

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, then add the onion. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cover the pot, cooking the onions for about 10 minutes until they’re softened.
2. Turn the heat up to medium and add the garlic, potatoes, and carrots. Put the cover back on and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
3. Add the maple syrup, pears, salt, thyme, and nutmeg, stirring gently and cook for a few more minutes.
4. Add the broth and mustard, and bring the pot to a boil. Then, turn the heat down to low, cover the pot, and simmer until the potatoes are soft.
5. Transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a spoonful of creme fraiche, a sprinkle of fresh thyme, and a few red pepper flakes.

Hot liquids in a blender

Be careful when pureeing hot liquids in a blender! Never fill the blender all the way – work in batches if you need to – and leave the hole in the lid unplugged. Cover the top of the blender lid with a clean kitchen towel, and start the blender on low, working your way to high until smooth and pureed. Very hot liquids have a tendency to explode out of the blender, but this process will reduce any accidents.

Tips & substitutions

• Any kind of potatoes work in this recipe, but floury potatoes tend to make the creamiest soup.
• Make sure your pears are ripe – hard green pears will result in a grainer soup, and it’ll have less flavor, too.
• You can also use canned pears.
• Fresh spices make all the difference – I use whole nutmeg and grate as much as needed with a microplane grater.
• You can use vegetable or chicken broth in this recipe.

Serving suggestions

Go all out with this delicious soup as a starter, and pair it with delicious eats like these English Sausage Pastries, roasted chicken, or baked salmon, or pair it with a fabulous salad.

Storage  

Store any leftover Pear Potato Soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Gently heat it in the microwave or on the stovetop to reheat it.

Check out these awesome soup recipes while you’re here

• Sausage, Tomato, Bacon Soup
• Roasted Sweet Potato Soup
• Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

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Easy Pear Potato Soup

Sandy Coughlin

Rich, creamy, and with a touch of sweetness, this easy Pear Potato Soup is elegant enough for dinner parties but still easy enough to enjoy for a weeknight lunch or dinner.

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

Yield: 6

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Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• ½ pound boiling potatoes, about 3 medium, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 2 medium carrots, cut into small pieces
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 4 pears cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp. Grey Poupon Dijion Mustard
• 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• Creme Fraiche
• Red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

 

• In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter; stir in the onion. Turn the heat down to medium-low, covering the onions. Stir occasionally for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are softened.
• Turn the heat up to medium and stir in the garlic, potato, and carrot. Cover the pot and cook for about 10 minutes.
• Add in the maple syrup, pear, salt, thyme, and nutmeg, stirring gently. Allow to cook on low heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.
• Add in the broth and mustard, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Cover the pot and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
• Transfer the soup in batches to a blender (or food processor), and puree for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a spoonful of creme fraiche, a sprinkle of fresh thyme and red pepper flakes.

Notes

Reposted from November 2015

Cuisine: American

Course: Soup

Did you make this recipe?Tag @reluctantentertainer on Instagram and hashtag it #reluctantentertainer!

For this post, I collaborated with The Downton Abbey Kitchen Presented by Grey Poupon.  Here’s more about my trip: Downton Abbey Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches and Downton Abbey Lavender Tea Bread.