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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.
Craving More Squash Soup Recipes?
Curried Squash and Pear Soup
Ingredients
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6 cups cubed butternut squash, (about 1 1/2 pounds)
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3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
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1 teaspoon butter
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1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
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2 1/2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
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1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
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Pinch nutmeg
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2 cups peeled, chopped Bartlett pear (about 1 pound, 3 pears)
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1 1/2 cups water
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1 cup pear nectar
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4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/8 teaspoon black pepper
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1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
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1 small Bartlett pear , cored and thinly sliced, for garnish
Method
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Sauté the butternut squash:
Heat 2 tablespoons 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.
Elise Bauer Elise Bauer Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining butternut squash. Remove to a bowl.
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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.
Elise Bauer Then add the curry powder, ground ginger, and nutmeg. Cook for a few minutes more.
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Add the pear:
Add the chopped pear and toss to coat. Cook for a minute more.
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Add the rest of the ingredients, 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 more minutes.
Elise Bauer Elise Bauer -
Purée:
Purée using an immersion blender. If using a standing blender, purée a third of the soup at a time.
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 and thicken.
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Add the cream:
Turn off the heat, and stir in 1/4 cup of cream.
Elise Bauer Ladle soup into bowls, and garnish with pear slices to serve.
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