Spiced Butternut Pear Soup

This recipe hits the spot for me any cold night. It makes a lot, so I pull it out for dinner parties too and it's yet to go over poorly. Feel free to experiment. I go by my mother's philosophy of using what's in your pantry, so throw some different stuff in there if you want!

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 183 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 quart chicken broth, or more as needed
• 1 pear - peeled, cored, and sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter, or more to taste
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add butternut squash, potatoes, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic; cook and stir until evenly coated and warmed through, about 10 minutes.

Step 2

Pour enough chicken broth into the pot to cover the butternut squash mixture. Cook for 10 minutes. Add pear; simmer until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes. Season with ginger, cayenne pepper, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Step 3

Fill a blender halfway with soup. Cover and hold lid down with a potholder; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Pour into a pot. Repeat with remaining soup.

Step 4

Stir heavy cream into the blended soup. Cook until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.