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Pear Potato Soup

Pear potato soup is a silky American soup made by simmering Yukon gold potatoes and ripe pears, then blending until completely smooth. Finished with heavy cream and topped with gorgonzola, candied walnuts, a honey drizzle, and fresh thyme for a sweet-savory swirl.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Base soup
  • 3 ripe pears peeled, cored and chopped
  • 2 lb Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cubed
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 garlic minced
  • 4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp white pepper
  • 1 salt to taste
Toppings
  • 1 crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese
  • 1 candied walnuts
  • 1 honey drizzle
  • 1 fresh thyme for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 Immersion blender

Method
 

Sauté the base
  1. Melt the unsalted butter in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté the diced onion for 5 minutes until soft and golden. Keep the heat at medium so the onion turns golden but does not brown too fast.
Simmer with pears and potatoes
  1. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the broth, cubed Yukon gold potatoes, and chopped ripe pears. Stir to coat everything so the pear flavor disperses evenly.
Cook until tender
  1. Add the fresh thyme leaves, bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes until both the potatoes and pears are completely tender. You should be able to pierce the potatoes easily with a fork.
Blend smooth
  1. Blend completely smooth with an immersion blender until no chunks remain and the soup looks silky. Blend while the pot is still hot for the smoothest texture.
Finish and season
  1. Stir in the heavy cream, then season with nutmeg, white pepper, and salt to taste. Adjust salt last so the flavor lands well after the cream is mixed in.
Serve
  1. Serve the pear potato soup hot and top each bowl with crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese, candied walnuts, a drizzle of honey, and fresh thyme. Add toppings just before serving so the walnuts stay crisp.

Notes

Pro tip: blend in short pulses at first, then blend continuously until absolutely smooth—this keeps the silky texture. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove to avoid separating. Freezing is not recommended because the cream can break when thawed. For a dietary swap, use half-and-half or lactose-free cream in place of heavy cream for a similar finish.