Curried Apple and Pear Soup
Source: Naomi Webb, Foodwise Staff
Recipe Type: Soups | Seasons: Autumn
This cozy soup celebrates the start of fall with apples and pears from the farmers market, gently spiced with curry and cumin. For added creaminess, garnish with a swirl of sour cream or yogurt. For extra texture, top with crunchy croutons, crispy shallots, or toasted hazelnuts
This recipe showcases fall fruit as a part of Foodwise’s Seasonal Spotlight program, which shines a light on the best produce that California farms have to offer at our farmers markets. Join us for free samples, cooking demos, and festivals to celebrate a different peak-season produce item each month. See upcoming events.
Serves 6 to 8
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 large onion
1 medium fennel bulb, top reserved for garnish
2 ribs of celery
3 medium carrots
4 pears
4 apples
1 ½ tablespoons mild or hot curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
6 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
PREPARATION
- Roughly chop onion, fennel, celery, carrots, pears, and apples.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat butter or olive oil over medium heat. Add fruit and vegetables and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and starting to caramelize.
- Stir in curry powder, turmeric, cumin, and black pepper, coating the fruit and vegetables and toasting the spices, about 30 seconds.
- Add water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until fruit and vegetables are quite soft when pierced with a fork.
- Remove soup from the heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. (For an even smoother texture, pour soup through a fine mesh strainer.) Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt to taste.
- Return the pot to the stove and simmer again just until the soup is nice and hot.
- Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with a small fennel frond.
