Pear Soup

A delicate, sweet Anglo-Indian fruit soup made from stewed pears thickened with bread, spiced with cloves, and finished with white wine and lemon juice. Traditionally served with sponge cake.

Ingredients

  • 6 whole Large pears (Ripe but firm (e.g., Bartlett or Anjou))
  • 1 piece White bread roll (Penny roll) (Or 2 slices of white bread, used for thickening)
  • 6 whole Whole cloves
  • 1.5 liters Water (Approximately 3 pints)
  • 60 grams Sugar (Approx. 2 ounces)
  • 1 whole Fresh lemon (Juiced)
  • 120 milliliters Light white wine (Half a tumblerful)
  • 4 slices Sponge cake (For serving)

Instructions

  1. 1Peel, core, and slice the pears. Slice the bread roll thinly.
  2. 2Place the sliced pears, bread slices, cloves, and water into a stew-pan. Bring to a gentle boil and let simmer until the pears are quite tender and breaking down.
  3. 3Pass the mixture through a coarse sieve to create a puree. Alternatively, remove the cloves and blend until smooth, then return the puree to the saucepan.
  4. 4Add the sugar, strained lemon juice, and white wine to the puree in the saucepan. Stir well.
  5. 5Bring the soup back to a boil and let it cook for 5 to 10 minutes to marry the flavors.
  6. 6Serve the soup hot, accompanied by slices of sponge cake.
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