Celery-Pear-Soup

Hi guys!

I don't know how the weather has been with you, but Switzerland has definetely seen better days. It is foggy the whole day with no sunshine coming through and pretty cold, so I've been in the mood for warming, comfy food mostly. Soups are a big part of my diet in autumn and winter and I love trying new things and new combinations. Soups are easy and fast to cook and provide you with a lot of vitamins from the vegetables. I first came upon the combination of celery and pear when it was served in a restaurant close by and I was smitten with the taste. The celery makes a great, earthy and slightly peppery base while the pear adds sweetness and a little acidity. Whether you enjoy it as a cream soup or plain without added cream, this soup is surprising and pleasing. Here's the recipe:

1 bulb root celery (about 750g (1 1/2 lb; 24 oz); you want to end up with 500g (1 lb; 16 oz) once peeled)
1 to 2 pears (about 400g (14 oz); (300g (10.5 oz) peeled))
1 l (4 cups; 32 fl.oz) vegetable stock
1 onion
Olive oil
lemon, juice, pepper and salt to season

1) Peel the root celery and cut into pieces (about 1,5 cm (1/2 inch) wide). Peel the pear and cut into small pieces. Dice the onion.

2) Heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Sautée the onion for 4-5 minutes until soft, then add the diced root celery and pear and cook for about 5 minutes. 

3) Add the vegetable stock, bring to the boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, uncovered. 

4) Blend the soup with a hand-held blender or kitchen machine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the soup is rather thick, add water until it has reached your desired consistency.

Serves: 4
Active preparation time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: 45 minutes

Here's how it looks:

The soup is creamy in texture even without any added cream. I like it best without cream, but I certainly know people who love their soup with cream. You could also add a dollop of crème fraîche to it before serving. This soup combines different flavours beautifully: a peppery, earthy note from the celery, rich sweetness from the pear, salt, lemon juice and pepper to complete the circle. 

I hope you are going to like it as much as I do.

Have fun trying and happy Thanksgiving!