This easy and delicious soup celebrates fall flavours. B.C. pears are especially nice right now; we picked up outstanding Anjou, Bartlett and Bosc varieties at the Red Apple and Steve & Dan’s fruit stands at Bountiful Market.
The rinds of Parmigiano are a great way to build depth of flavour in soups and ragus. Try topping this soup with roasted hazelnuts or almonds for additional texture.
| 2 sm | or 1 large celery root, peeled, washed and cubed |
| 1 | Yukon gold potato, peeled and cubed |
| 1 lg | firm pear, peeled, cored and cubed |
| 1 lg | leek, greens reserved for another use, white part halved lengthwise and thoroughly washed, cut into slices |
| 1 lg | fennel bulb, cored and cubed |
| 1 clove | garlic, whole |
| 2T | unsalted butter |
| 2T | extra virgin olive oil |
| 1 sprig | fresh sage |
| 1½ T | kosher salt |
| 1 c | dry white wine |
| 2 rinds | Parmigiano cheese |
| 6 c | water |
| high quality extra virgin olive oil |
Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium sized pot over medium-high heat. Add the celery root, leek, fennel, garlic clove, ½ tablespoon of salt and sage. Fry until fully cooked and softened but not browned. Add the white wine, cook for 3 minutes or until the alcohol aroma has dissipated. Add the remaining ingredients and allow to simmer for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Remove and discard the Parmigiano rinds. Using a blender or hand blender, blitz the soup until completely smooth. Season to taste with more salt if needed. Serve immediately with a drizzle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
Serves 4.