Pear and Parsnip Soup is smooth, creamy comfort. It’s the perfect hug in a bowl during the cold winter months. And all you have to do is simmer the ingredients and blend!
Plus it happens to be naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo and Whole30 compliant and can be made vegan with vegetable broth.
This post was most recently updated on December 10, 2023.
Why this recipe works
Parsnip soup is one of my favorite recipes when the weather starts getting chilly. Parsnips look like white carrots and have an earthy, slightly sweet taste and starchy texture. They blend up beautifully for soups. To give the soup extra dimension, I add pears for a bit more sweetness. But don’t worry, the sweetness doesn’t overwhelm the savoriness.
And I add a third ingredient that might be surprising: pistachios.
They provide additional depth and complexity, plus they help give the soup body and thickness. It’s a creamy parsnip soup without having to add any cream!
I swear I didn’t make this soup just because I like alliteration (look, I like alliteration a lot). I actually found this combination in local culinary hero Stephanie Izard’s Girl in the Kitchen. Obviously, as she’s a professional chef, her soup is a bit more complicated to make. So I pared it down to its essentials to create an easy parsnip soup that still tastes delicious.
And once you try it, it’ll become a part of your regular recipe rotation.
What you need
Ingredients for the parsnip and pear soup:
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2-2 1/2 pounds parsnips
- 2 pears (such as Bosc or Bartlett)
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
- 2 cups vegetable broth (for vegan) or low-sodium chicken broth (or use your own homemade bone broth)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne (optional)
Equipment:
- a cutting board
- a chef’s knife
- a large soup pot or Dutch oven
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- a measuring glass
- a vegetable peeler
- a blender or stick blender
How to make Pear and Parsnip Soup
- Peel and chop the parsnips and pears if you wish (I usually peel the parsnips but not the pears). Peel and chop the onion.
- Add them to a large soup pot with the pistachios, broth, water and seasonings. You can sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat for 10 minutes first but I find it unnecessary.
- Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes.
- Blend! You can either use a stick blender (easier but doesn’t get quite as smooth) or in a regular blender. To do so, fill the blender jar only halfway. Then remove the insert from the lid and hold a towel over the opening. Blend until smooth, pour into a bowl and repeat with more of the soup until it’s all blended. Return to the pot on the stove to heat up.
FAQ
– You can use apples instead of pears. I recommend Granny Smith.
– You can omit the pistachios or use cashews instead – they also add creaminess when blended.
– You can first saute the chopped onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until soft and translucent. Then add the other ingredients and proceed with the recipe.
– You can serve this soup as shooters in shot glasses for parties. Top with some crushed pistachios or finely chopped fresh thyme.
Yep. You can store the soup in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Yep. Store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Other recipes you might like:
- 3-Ingredient Curried Sweet Potato Soup
- 3-Ingredient Butternut Squash Soup
- Purple Soup
- Roasted Butternut, Apple and Cardamom Soup
- Instant Pot Bone Broth
- Pear and Pomegranate Salad
Pear and Parsnip Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and chopped
- 2-2½ lbs. parsnips peeled, ends trimmed, chopped
- 2 pears (such as Bosc or Bartlett) peeled (if desired), cored, chopped
- ½ cup shelled pistachios
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (use veggie broth for vegan option)
- ½ teaspoon cayenne (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot, add the onion, parsnips, pears, pistachios, salt and cayenne, if using (it adds a wonderful warmth in the back of your throat but feel free to reduce the amount or omit altogether).
- Add the chicken broth and 1½ cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a medium simmer (not too angry, not too chill), and let it bubble away for 20 minutes, by which time the pistachios should be soft enough to blend.
- Blend with a stick blender (see notes for regular blender instructions). Taste to adjust the seasoning. If it's too thick, add more water, if it's too thin, simmer again to reduce and thicken.
Stacey Crawford says
I love how creative and special the flavors are in this soup! Parsnips are so underused and have such a great peppery flavor which works well with the sweet pears 🙂
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
Thanks! And agreed. It’s my mission to make more people love parsnips. 😉
Caroline McIlroy says
Of all the parsnip pear soup recipes out there, this is by far the simplest and somehow the best I’ve ever had. The pistachio and cayenne help make this a surprisingly complex, expensive tasting soup. I’ve eaten it cold for breakfast where it tastes like a sweet and savory applesauce almost, and served hot for a comforting rainy day soup. Highly recommend.
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
I’m so glad you liked it! That idea to eat it cold is so great! I never thought of that and I love cold leftovers. Thanks for letting me know!