Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Sauté and simmer
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté the diced onion for 5 minutes until soft and golden (visual cue: translucent and golden edges).
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute (visual cue: fragrant, not browned).
- Add the broth, cubed potatoes, and chopped pears, then add the fresh thyme leaves (visual cue: liquid comes to an even simmer around the ingredients).
- Bring the soup to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes until both potatoes and pears are completely tender (visual cue: potato cubes break apart easily with pressure).
Blend and finish
- Blend completely smooth with an immersion blender until no chunks remain (visual cue: glossy, uniform pale golden texture).
- Stir in the heavy cream, then season with nutmeg, white pepper, and salt to taste (visual cue: soup looks creamy and evenly speckled).
- Serve with crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese, candied walnuts, a drizzle of honey, and fresh thyme for an elegant presentation.
Notes
For the silkiest texture, blend until the mixture is fully smooth before adding cream, and simmer only until tender so the pears don’t turn grainy. Refrigerate in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat gently and don’t boil. Freezing is not recommended because cream can separate after thawing. Dietary swap: use half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a lighter (still creamy) version.
