Pear parsnip soup

 

 Parsnip and pear soup
Adapted from "365: A Year of Everyday Cooking and Baking" by Meike Peters

Ingredients
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
⅔ cup chopped peeled parsnips (about 2 large-ish)
7 ounces peeled and cored firm pear, chopped (1 large)
3 large cloves garlic, chopped into large pieces
3⅓ cup broth
1 bay leaf
1 bunch fresh thyme, plus more leaves for garnish
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Nutmeg, salt, pepper
¼ cup cream
Mascarpone or crème fraiche for garnish

Method
In large heavy pot, heat oil over medium low heat. Add garlic and cook until soft. Add parsnip, pear and garlic and cook for one minute, stirring. Add the broth, bay leaf, thyme and rosemary. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Simmer for 25 minutes until parsnip is tender. Remove from heat and remove the bay leaf, rosemary sprig and any woody thyme stems. Let cool slightly and puree. Return to pot and add cream and heat through. Adjust seasoning as needed. Serve garnished with a small dollop of mascarpone or crème fraiche. Serves 4 as a light first course, or 2 heartier servings.

Rating: Fine. It's highly reminiscent of this parsnip apple soup from "The Cafe Brenda Cookbook" that's my usual go-to parsnip soup. I happened to have pears and parsnips on hand when I saw this recipe so I gave it a shot. It's a perfectly good combo pack, perhaps a tad sweeter than the Cafe Brenda version, which I slightly prefer because it has a bit more tang.