Pear and Autumn-Vegetable Soup

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Pear and Autumn Vegetable Soup
Servings:
6

Sweet turnip and pumpkin meet Bartlett pears in this Pear and Autumn-Vegetable Soup touched with sage, finished with cream, and garnished with oven-dried pear slices.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium Bartlett pears (8 to 10 ounces each) and 4 small Bartlett pears (about 6 ounces each)

  • 1 sugar pumpkin or butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

  • 1 turnip (about 3 ounces), trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 sprig fresh sage

  • 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt

  • ¼ cup heavy cream

  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut 2 medium pears lengthwise into paper-thin slices. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until pears are dry, about 1 hour. Let cool completely on sheet on a wire rack.

  2. Meanwhile, peel remaining 4 pears; halve lengthwise, and core. Place pears, pumpkin, turnip, sage, and 1 teaspoon salt in a 4-quart stockpot. Cover with water (at least 4 cups). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

  3. Pour mixture through a sieve into a medium bowl, reserving broth and discarding sage. Puree solids in a food processor or blender, adding up to 1/2 cup reserved broth as needed.

  4. Return puree to the pot. Stir in 3 to 4 cups reserved broth to achieve desired consistency. Bring soup to a simmer over medium-low heat. Whisk in cream, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Serve garnished with dried pears.

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