Pear and Celeriac Soup

Pear and celeriac – a fabulous combination for soup and super quick and easy to make. Our version of this classic adds a little cardamom and green peppercorns for a hint of spice and a parmesan rind to create a slight creaminess. I used chicken stock, but if you want to make this pear and celeriac soup vegan – lose the parmesan and change the chicken stock for a homemade vegetable one.

Start by sauteing onion and leek in a little oil with a sprig of thyme and half a teaspoon each of freshly ground green peppercorns and green cardamom. Add the diced celeriac with a squeeze of lemon and gently braise until the celeriac starts to soften. You can then add the pears, stock of your choice and parmesan rind (if using).

And that’s it – cook until soft and remove the rind and thyme before blending. Add seasoning and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.

You can leave it there and garnish it with a little ground pepper or crumbled blue cheese. However, a simple, fresh mint pesto will make your soup special. A combination of mint, parmesan, almonds, olive oil and a little lemon zest. Absolutely delicious swirled into the top of the soup. Again, if you want to keep the recipe vegan, use vegan cheese or leave it out. Serve with plenty of fresh warm bread.

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Pear and Celeriac Soup

The classic pear and celeriac soup but spiced with cardamom and green peppercorns and topped with fresh mint pesto.

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Course: lunch, main course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: healthy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 6 (main course)

Author: The Wild Epicurean

Equipment

• 1 Large heavy based pan
• 1 Stick blender
• 1 Mini-blender or pestle and mortar

Ingredients

Pear and Celeriac Soup

• 1 celeriac
• 2 pears
• 1 large white onion – roughly chopped
• 1 large leek – cut into disks – use some of the green leaves if they are tender
• ½ tsp powdered cardamom
• ½ tsp freshly ground green pepper
• 1 sprig thyme
• 6 cm parmesan rind optional
• 1 litre stock of your choice
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• ½ lemon

Mint Pesto

• 1 large handful of mint leaves (approx 40g)
• 30 g almonds
• 30 g finely grated parmesan
• 2 cloves grated garlic
• 1 lemon (zest)
• hot water
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Gently sweat the onions, leek, spices and thyme in a little olive oil over low heat.
• While the onions are cooking, peel the celeriac and add to the onions as you chop. Cut the celeriac into approximately 3 cm cubes. Squeeze over a little lemon juice.
• When the onions are translucent and the celeriac has started to soften – add all the stock and the parmesan rind.
• Peel and core the pears and add them immediately to the soup as you peel – to stop them from browning!
• Simmer gently for 30-40 minutes or until the celeriac is soft and blendable.
• Remove the parmesan rind and thyme sprig. Blend the soup and check for seasoning adding salt, black pepper and a tablespoon of cider vinegar. If it is too thick for your taste – add a little milk, water or stock and reheat.

Mint Pesto

• Blanch the mint leaves in hot water and then immediately into iced water. This stops them from browning.
• Add the almonds to the mini-blender and whizz until fine. Add the remaining ingredients except for the water and blend. If you want it a little smoother but not oilier – add a little warm water to help you get the right consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serving

• Serve hot, garnished with mint pesto and fresh bread.

Notes

It is important to blanch the mint leaves, or they tend to turn brown, and you lose the lovely bright green colour of the pesto—a great how-to post on blanching herbs here.

If you want to prepare the celeriac in advance – it needs to be covered with water acidulated with either lemon or vinegar – to stop it from browning.

The green peppercorns give the soup a slightly spicy kick but can be replaced with black peppercorns or a combination of white and black pepper.