This Spinach and Pear soup is silky smooth and light. It has a mild spinach flavor despite its rich green color. I use baby spinach for this soup because it’s more delicate and you don’t have to remove the stems and center vein which you need to do with regular spinach.
Cuisine Minceur by Chef Michel Guerard was my inspiration for this recipe. His cookbook is filled with low fat recipes that are not lacking in flavor and sophistication. The Spinach-Pear Purée that inspired my recipe for Spinach and Pear Soup is creamy and delicious without cream or butter. It is delicious hot or cold!
The pear really shines through when you sprinkle the soup with cardamom dusted pear croutons or plain croutons. Add them to the soup after you serve it so the croutons don’t get soggy. Warning: make more croutons than you think you’ll need. They make a great nibble!
For another light soup, click on the link for Mushroom Soup with Thyme
Hint: The pear croutons take seconds in an electric fryer!
Prep time: 15 minutes
Spinach and Pear Soup
By Published: January 19, 2019
Yield:
- 10 cups (8 Servings)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion peeled, cored and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons ground cardamom
- 5 ounces Baby Spinach
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 large Russet Potato peeled and chopped
- 5 large ripe pears
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup Non-dairy Unflavored Breadcrumbs or gf breadcrumbs for Passover
Equipment
- electric food processor steel knife inserted
- 4 quart soup pot with cover
- small skillet
- slotted spoon
- rack for draining pears
Directions
- Pour three tablespoons of oil into soup pot. Heat over medium flame. Add onion and garlic. Sprinkle with salt. Sauté until onion is translucent. Peel, core and dice three pears while onions are cooking. Add spinach (stems and leaves). Stir until spinach is slightly wilted and mixed with onion and garlic. Add one tablespoon cardamom, lemon zest and juice. Stir 30 seconds. Add potato, chopped pears and water. Stir again. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover pot. Simmer 30 minutes. Let soup cool. Purée 2-3 cups at a time in processor until smooth. Taste. Add salt if needed. Peel, core and dice remaining two pears if you are serving the soup on the day you make it. Otherwise prepare pear croutons on the day of serving.
- For croutons: Mix breadcrumbs and remaining cardamom. Add remaining diced pears and toss well. Heat 1/3 cup oil in a small skillet. Heat til oil is very hot. Test by placing one diced pear in pan. If it browns right away, the oil is hot enough. Add remaining diced pears and fry until golden. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon. Drain on a rack so oil falls through the holes. Serve with soup . Enjoy!
- I often make soup a day in advance. Sometimes, it thickens a bit overnight. If that happens, I add a cup of water to the puréed soup before heating.
