Mushroom Soup With Roasted Pears and Chive Creme Fraiche

I will be the first to say it: this soup is not pretty. In fact, without the creamy creme fraiche colored with lovely specks of green, I'm not sure I would give it the time of day. Lucky for you, I can vouch for this soup and I'm here to tell you that it is worth getting to know. This soup may not be pretty, but it has a fantastic personality!

It all started one day when I was out to lunch at a sweet little cafe and the soup-of-the-day was their version of this soup. The puree is both sweet and savory and has quite a few intriguing layers. The chive creme fraiche tops it off beautifully, and if you plan ahead you can have your very own creme fraiche within two days.


Mushroom Soup With Roasted Pears and Chive Creme Fraiche
4 servings

1 ripened pear
3 small carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 1 large onion, diced
1/2 lb crimini mushrooms, quartered
4 cups chicken or veg stock
olive oil
kosher salt and pepper, to taste

For the Creme Fraiche:
8 oz heavy cream, preferably organic, room temperature
1 tbsp buttermilk, room temperature
chives, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the pear and place it in a baking dish with about 1/2 inch water in the pan. Roast the pear for 30 minutes while you start the soup.

Sautee the onions in a healthy swirl of olive oil. When they are soft, add the carrots and celery and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms. When they start to relax, add the stock and simmer on low heat. When the pear is cool enough to handle, chop it up, leaving out the core and add to the soup. Puree in a blender, Cuisinart, or with an immersion blender. Serve, topped with a dollop of chive creme fraiche.

To make the creme fraiche, shake the heavy cream and buttermilk together in a jar and set out for 1-2 days, stirring a couple of times in between. Refrigerate when it gets thick. Scoop out as much as you'll need for your soup and add chopped chives, to taste.