Cauliflower and Pear Soup Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Fall

by: EmilyC

September11,2011

4.5

8 Ratings

Cauliflower and Pear Soup Recipe on Food52 (1)

Serves 4 to 6

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Around the holidays, my mom often serves soup and sandwiches for a low-key meal the night before she’s serving a larger, more labor-intensive one. I’ve taken this tradition to heart. Not only is soup comforting for traveling guests, it’s also a welcome dish for the cook because it can be prepared in advance.

Inspired by a side dish of cauliflower with pears, sage, and hazelnuts from Andrew Carmellini’s Urban Italian, I took these same flavors and turned them into a fall soup. This soup is all about building layers of flavor -- you start with leeks and shallot, then lightly brown the cauliflower, potato, and pear with sage and thyme before adding chicken stock for a lazy simmer on the stove. You then puree the soup until it’s silky and smooth. I considered finishing the soup with cream or milk but decided it’s lovely without it.

The pear is definitely the secret weapon here -- it adds a subtle sweetness and marries perfectly with the other flavors. A prosciutto panini or simple grilled cheese sandwich makes a perfect accompaniment. Fear not making this soup for the self-avowed cauliflower haters in your family -- it's sure to win them over.
—EmilyC

Test Kitchen Notes

Pear and Sherry vinegar are the star ingredients of this comforting autumn soup, adding a crucial hint of sweetness and complexity to what could otherwise be a fairly bland standby. Creamy and light, it fairly calls out improvisational touches, so feel free to play around by adding a crumble of Stilton, a scattering of crisp fried sage leaves, or a dollop of wasabi. - Kukharka —mitschlag

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

1 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 large leek, white and light green parts, chopped
1 small shallot, chopped
1 head cauliflower, green leaves and trunk removed, florets chopped
2 small yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large or 2 small pears, peeled, cored, and chopped
5 leaves fresh sage (or about 2 tsp chopped)
1 T chopped fresh thyme leaves
5 to 6 cups chicken stock
kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 tsp sherry vinegar, or to taste (champagne vinegar also works well)
2 T finely chopped chives, for serving

Directions

Heat the oil and butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the leek and shallot, and cook until they are soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
Add the cauliflower, potato, pear, sage, and thyme, stirring to thoroughly coat them with the oil and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until lightly browned, stirring frequently, another 8 to 10 minutes. You're aiming for a little caramelization around the edges for depth of flavor.
Add 5 cups chicken stock. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, lower heat to just maintain the simmer, and cook until all of the ingredients are very tender, about 30 minutes.
With an immersion blender or regular blender, puree the soup until it’s smooth. If using a blender, you may need to do this step in batches, then return to pot. You're looking for a smooth, velvety texture, so take your time to blend thoroughly. Thin with more chicken stock, if needed, until you reach desired consistency.
Season to taste with vinegar and salt and pepper. Serve in heated bowls, garnished with chives.

Tags:

Soup
Vegetable
Cauliflower
Chive
Leek
Pear
Sage
Shallot
Thyme
Vinegar
Fall

Contest Entries

Your Best Pears
Your Best Recipe for Autumn Soup

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Änneken
Brooke Clayton-Rudd
Carolyn Swayze
zestandzeal
JanetFL

Recipe by: EmilyC

I'm a home cook. I love salads. Two things you'll always find in my refrigerator are lemons and butter, and in my pantry good quality chocolate and the makings for chocolate chip cookies.

Popular on Food52

44 Reviews

JPepper610 November 28, 2021

Made this yesterday after somebody sent me pears for Christmas. It turned out delicious! I added sherry vinegar at the very end. It definitely rounded out the flavor. I served it with homemade croutons that were baked with olive oil, butter, herbs d’provence, salt and pepper. Delish!!!

EmilyC November 29, 2021

Wonderful! : ) Thanks for trying it and letting me know.

Änneken January 1, 2021

I roasted the veggies in a 425F oven for 35 mins or so first and then added them to the shallot & leeks mixture. Came out beautifully! I didn't detect any thyme or sage flavors in the final product though :( Also, I am a huge lover of all things acidic so I amped up on the sherry vinegar and also squeezed a whole lime over the soup at the end as well. It's even better today, day two. Love it!

Brooke C. July 22, 2020

I over-caramelised the veggies. Tasted lovely but there was no hint of white left.

See Also

Coconut Whipped Cream Recipe

Ooh la la! This is fantastic! I will definitely make this again!

EmilyC October 22, 2012

Just now seeing your comment -- I'm happy you tried and liked it! Thanks for reporting back!

TheWimpyVegetarian September 20, 2011

I love how this sounds!! Saved!

EmilyC September 20, 2011

Thanks ChezSuzanne -- I'd love to know if you try it!

Ms. T. September 14, 2011

I think I just drooled on my keyboard. Can't wait to try this.

EmilyC September 14, 2011

Thanks Ms. T! Leftovers have kept me happy all week.

wssmom September 13, 2011

Cauliflower and pears sound like a remarkable combination; it's still 85 degrees here in New York but temperature is supposed to drop by this weekend, and this will be lunch! Thanks for posting.

EmilyC September 13, 2011

Thanks wssmom! Here's to hoping you get some cooler weather this weekend!

GiGi26 September 13, 2011

I am looking forward to trying your recipe!! It's turning cool here in Michigan so it just might be on the menu later this week!

EmilyC September 13, 2011

Thanks GiGi26! It's cooler here in Virginia, too, and this was our first soup of the season. I hope you try it later this week, and if you do, please report back!

GiGi26 September 20, 2011

It's a FAMILY HIT!! My husband was very sceptical about the combination but loved the results! Granddaughters said it was the best soup ever....high praise from a 12 and 13 year old.

EmilyC September 20, 2011

Your comment made me smile! I'm thrilled you all liked it. Thanks for reporting back!

healthierkitchen September 12, 2011

Wow! I love this - it's just the kind of thing I like. Cant wait to try!

EmilyC September 13, 2011

Thanks healthierkitchen! Let me know if you try it!

SKK September 12, 2011

Wonderful!

EmilyC September 12, 2011

Thanks so much SKK!

Midge September 12, 2011

Love it. Pears and cauliflower sound like a brilliant combination.

EmilyC September 12, 2011

Thanks Midge! You know, I thought pear and cauliflower sounded a little odd at first, but was totally won over when I tried them together.

fiveandspice September 12, 2011

Wow! This is so creative and utterly dreamy sounding!

EmilyC September 12, 2011

Thanks so much fiveandspice! Having made the Urban Italian cauliflower and pear dish before, I knew the flavors would work -- but even I was delighted at how well it turned out! Even better when you have a toasty sandwich to dip into it! : )

Bevi September 12, 2011

I love layered soups like these. It sounds perfect for the upcoming cooler days.

EmilyC September 12, 2011

Thanks, Bevi! I agree with you on layered soups. Even the simple step of seasoning as you build each layer of flavor (instead of adding all the seasoning at the end) makes a big difference in the final taste.

Bevi September 13, 2011

Soup is simmering.

EmilyC September 13, 2011

Oh good -- let me know how it turns out!

Bevi September 13, 2011

Delicious! It's hot here today but supposed to have a cold spell coming in, so I wanted to have this ready and waiting. I did not have champagne vinegar, but I added 1t. white wine vinegar, 1t. sherry and 2t. pear brandy. It is hardy yet delicate. I melted some cheese on top - figuring pears, potatoes, and cauliflower all love cheese. Seasoning to taste is the key here because there is so much that can be done according to cook's preference. Thanks so much. Have you frozen this soup with success?

EmilyC September 13, 2011

Hi Bevi -- Thanks so much for reporting back! I'm glad you like it! The melted cheese on top sounds great. (I've had grilled cheese with my soup for two meals this week!) And I completely agree on the seasoning...I kept adding a little salt, a little vinegar, and all of a sudden the flavors just popped. The acid is key. Even though I haven't tried, I think this soup would freeze beautifully, especially since there's no dairy in it.

sexyLAMBCHOPx September 12, 2011

This soup recipe may (may...:)) make me a cauliflower fan yet!

EmilyC September 12, 2011

My husband's not a cauliflower fan either, so he wasn't exactly thrilled when I announced we were having this soup for dinner. But upon his first bite, he paused and said..."this is really good." He ate it all. So definitely give it a whirl! : )