Who doesn’t love a soup with a creamy texture and incredible flavor? This soup is from one of my fav cookbooks, Southwest Tastes. It’s no longer in print, but it was one of my earliest inspirations for being a more creative cook. My mom gave me the cookbook, so it holds very special memories. I’ve made a few adjustments to the recipe & I think you will love it! This soup has a few steps, but it’s well worth it!
Notes
Original recipe from Southwest Tastes. This was served in the former Routh Street Cafe in Fort Worth.
Ingredients
- Pears:
- 1 ripe pear
- 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 3 TBS sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup pear brandy
- Sweet Potatoes:
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into chunks
- 1 TBS unsalted butter
- 1 TBS minced onion
- 1 TBS chopped celery
- 1 TBS chopped carrot
- 1/2 seeded & chopped Serrano chili
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 1/4 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 TBS maple syrup
- Sea salt & pepper to taste
- 3 TBS freshly squeezed lime juice
- Garnish: Good olive oil
Instructions
- Peel, halve & core the pears. Poach the pears in the wine, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and pear brandy for 10 minutes, or until the point of a knife pierces one easily. Allow to cool in the syrup.
- Boil the prepared sweet potatoes in salted water until soft.
- While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in a small sauté pan. Sauté the vegetables, chili, and thyme until the vegetables are soft. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of the chicken stock & simmer for 1 minute.
- Add the cooked sweet potatoes, sautéed veggies, 1 cup of the chicken stock & 1 poached pear to a food processor. Purée until smooth.
- Pour the puréed sweet potato mixture into a large saucepan and add the cream, maple syrup, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Add the remaining chicken stock of soup is too thick. Bring to a low boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve bisque in warm bowls. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil.
