Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

This homemade butternut squash and pear soup is the perfect comfort food for the fall and winter seasons. Full of flavour and made without processed sugar or heavy cream makes it a healthy alternative and naturally vegan and gluten-free.

Fall is undoubtedly soup season in our home. When the temperatures start to drop we go into full-on soup mode. It’s the time of year when I find comfort takes precedence in everything we do. If we sit on the couch, we grab a cozy throw. Cold coffees turn to hot coffees and teas. And you can buy anything with the scent or flavour of pumpkin spice…literally anything.  There’s something comforting and soothing about this butternut squash and pear soup recipe that fits right in with the season.

I rarely make pureed soups, but I wanted to try to come up with a slight twist on a butternut squash soup. For this recipe, my goal was to combine sweet and savoury to give it a well-rounded flavour. I wanted something that would confuse your taste buds a little bit. Mission accomplished. In fact, Zoe was so confused by the combination that she “wasn’t a fan” of it. Ella, on the other hand, loved the soup, but she will pretty much eat anything at this age. In any case, I’m still classifying this recipe as a success.

If we’re making soup for dinner, I usually prefer hearty soups that are essentially stews disguised as a soup. But this one hit the mark, even for me.

Balancing out the sweetness of the squash and pear with some peppery celery, onion and celery salt is only enhanced by adding cinnamon, cloves and ginger. The hint of ginger goes well with the sweetness of the pear. Knowing that this recipe does not contain any processed sugars or high fat cream definitely makes it a healthy option for the whole family. The butternut squash itself is loaded with lots of nutrition.

Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, cubed
• 1 sweet onion, cut into chunks
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 bartlett pear, cut into chunks
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp celery salt
• 2 stems of fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
• Salt & Pepper

Instructions

In an instant pot...

1. Add all of the ingredients to the instant pot and stir.
2. Set the instant pot to pressure cook on HIGH for 12 minutes.
3. Once complete, carefully use the quick release to let the pot depressurize.
4. Using an immersion blender, completely puree the soup.
5. Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

In a standard large pot...

1. Add all of the ingredients to a large pot.
2. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for approximately 20-30 minutes, stirring at least every 10 minutes, until the squash is soft enough to be mashed with a fork.
3. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to completely puree the soup.
4. Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 101 Total Fat: 1g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 1mg Sodium: 208mg Carbohydrates: 22g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 6g Sugar: 10g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 4g

Please keep in mind that nutritional information is an estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Now that you’ve tried our butternut squash and pear soup, we hope you’ll take a few minutes to check out these amazing fall soup recipes from our friends.

Favourite Fall Soup Recipes

Easy Slow Cooker White Bean and Ham Soup by Ella Claire & Co. | Creamy Cauliflower Soup by Tidbits | Butternut Squash Minestrone by Nest of Posies | Light Creamy Mushroom Soup by The Chronicles of Home | Corn Chowder by On Sutton Place