Healthy, comforting, and soul-warming – what more could you want from a starter as days get colder? This leek and pear soup is the ultimate comfort food.
The classic ingredients for the leek soups you may already know are leek (who would have thought!?), potatoes, broth, and heavy cream. Adding pear makes this soup slightly sweet, a little fresher and definitely more tasty. The consistency is similar to potato soup. If you’d like to make it a little lighter, reduce the amount of heavy cream.
I rarely leave my soups naked, so my leek and pear soup also earned a topping that you shouldn’t skip. The caramelized walnuts combined with the pear and thyme bring this soup to the next level. Please, please, please take your time to prepare this topping while the soup is simmering.
LEEK AND PEAR SOUP WITH WALNUT TOPPING
INGREDIENTS
Leek and Pear Soup
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 450 g leeks cut into pieces
- 2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 280 g pears peeled and cut into pieces
- 100 g mealy potatoes peeled and cut into pieces
- 150 ml white wine
- 800 ml vegetable broth
- 300 ml heavy cream
- 5 sprigs of thyme
- 1 pinch of nutmeg
- 1 pinch of salt and pepper
Walnut Topping
- 2 tbsp cane sugar
- 3 tbsp walnuts roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 200 g firm pears cut into small cubes
- 5 sprigs of thyme
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch of salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Leek and pear soup
- Heat oil in a large pan. Briefly sauté the leek and garlic for approx. 5 minutes. Add the pears and potatoes and steam briefly. Deglaze with wine and cook until there is no remaining liquid. Pour in the broth, bringing to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for approx. 20 mins. Pour in the cream and add sprigs of thyme. Continue to simmer uncovered for approx. 10 minutes. Blend the soup, season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Walnut and Pear Topping
- Heat the sugar with 1 tablespoon of water in a small skillet until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat, add the walnuts, mix them with sugar until the sugar has crystalized around the walnuts. Place the skillet back on the heat, continue cooking for about 3-5 minutes, while stirring constantly, until the sugar becomes liquidy again and fully coats the walnuts. The toasted-nut smell and golden brown color will appear when they are fully caramelized. Make sure to remove them from the heat before they get burnt. Leave to cool on parchment paper. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet, cook the pears and thyme for approx. 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- To serve, sprinkle the soup with the walnut and pear topping.
