Curried Squash and Pear Soup

EASY Butternut Squash Soup with Pears, seasoned with curry and ginger

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Updated September 28, 2018
Elise Bauer
Curried Squash and Pear Soup
Elise Bauer

Tis the season for squash and pear! These two pals of fall work beautifully together in this creamy, lightly spicy, gingery soup.

When I first posted this recipe years ago, I suggested roasting a halved butternut squash first, to get make purée as the base for the soup. That works, but you are left with an excess of squash purée, and sometimes it's just easier to start with pre-cut butternut squash.

So, in this revised version, I'm browning pre-cut cubed squash in olive oil and butter, then cooking onions with spices, and then adding chopped pears, before adding back the squash and stock to make the soup.

Pears and ginger love each other, so I'm adding a little ground ginger for some zing, as well as a splash of nutmeg.

The soup is similar to a spicy pumpkin soup also here on Simply Recipes, but with a distinctive pear flavor. You can add a thin slice of Bartlett pear to each serving, or cut up a pear in small pieces and mix them into the soup for added sweetness.

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Curried Squash and Pear Soup

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 60 mins
Servings 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • 2 cups peeled, chopped Bartlett pear (about 1 pound, 3 pears)
  • 1 1/2  cups water
  • 1 cup pear nectar
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (use veg stock for vegetarian option)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 small Bartlett pear, cored and thinly sliced

Method

  1. Sauté the butternut squash:

    Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter in a large, thick-bottomed pot on high heat. Add half of the cubed butternut squash. Toss to coat with the oil. Let cook until lightly browned on several sides.

    saute butternut squash for curried squash pear soup
    Elise Bauer
    brown the butternut squash to make the best curried squash soup
    Elise Bauer

    Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining butternut squash. Remove to a bowl.

  2. Cook the onions and spices:

    Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Add the chopped onion. Lower the heat to medium and cook for a few minutes to soften.

    cook onions and spices for curried squash pear soup
    Elise Bauer
    add curry powder and spices to the onions
    Elise Bauer

    Then add the curry powder, ground ginger, and nutmeg. Cook for a few minutes more.

  3. Add the chopped pear:

    and toss to coat. Cook for a minute more.

    add chopped pears to the onion curry mixture
    Elise Bauer
  4. Add water, stock, pear nectar, salt, pepper, then simmer:

    Add the browned butternut squash to the onion pear mixture. Add the water, stock, pear nectar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil on high heat; partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

    add stock and pear nectar to the squash, pears, onions
    Elise Bauer
    cook the curried pear soup for half an hour
    Elise Bauer
  5. Purée:

    Purée using a stick blender or if using a standing blender, purée a third of the soup at a time.

    use a stick blender to puree the curried squash pear soup
    Elise Bauer

    If the soup is too thick for you, add a little water to thin it. If it is too thin for you, bring it to a boil and let it boil down a bit.

  6. Add cream:

    Turn off heat. Stir in 1/4 cup of cream.

    stir cream into the curried squash pear soup
    Elise Bauer

    Ladle soup into bowls, and garnish with pear slices.

Curried Squash and Pear Soup
Elise Bauer