Name: Vegan Cold Pear Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons vegan butter; 1/2 cup yellow onion (diced); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 2 pounds ripe pears (approx. 8 medium pears, quartered); 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional); 1/2 cup soy milk (or almond/cashew milk); cashew cream

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A sweet and savoury vegan cold pear soup! It’s naturally sweet, thanks to ripe pears, and it’s incredibly flavourful, despite only having 8 ingredients. Makes a fabulously unique starter or dessert that’s ready in just 25 minutes.

Bowl of creamy soup with dish towel beside it.

This recipe was originally published in October 2018. It has been updated for content and photos.

This vegan cold pear soup is especially fantastic when pears are ripe and in season, but since pears are available all year round, you can enjoy this delicious soup at any time of year.

I originally made this soup in 2018, and although this post has been updated since then, I decided to leave this tidbit in, so you’ll understand WHY on earth I tried this soup cold. 😆

“I did try the soup warm at first, and it was delicious! But then because of mom life, a screaming baby and toddler, bath time, bedtime, etc, I didn’t sit down to take another bite until over 30 minutes later.” – Exhausted me in 2018 when my boys were 2.5 and 11 months old.

Jump to:

Ingredients + Substitutions
Instructions
Equipment
Variations
Storage
Expert Tip
More delicious creamy soup recipes!
📖 Recipe

Hand holding bowl of soup on countertop with pears above and below it.

Ingredients + Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this vegan cold pear soup.

Bowl of pears, onion, spices, milk and butter on kitchen counter. — *See recipe card for quantities.*

Pears: Choose pears that are ripe to maximize the natural sweetness of this pear soup. Leave your pears at room temperature for several days if they are still hard, or they won’t be sweet enough for this dish. I’ve tried this with both bartlett and bosc pears, but any pears will work.
Butter: I’m using dairy-free butter, but you may also use a neutral flavoured oil, like avocado oil if you’d like.
- For oil-free: To keep the dish low fat and oil-free, omit the butter and use water or broth to sauté the onion and garlic.
Onion + Garlic: Use fresh (not dried powders) and sauté them until golden and lightly caramelized for the best flavour.
Lemon: Adds a slight tang to the pear soup, without being overpowering. If you don’t have fresh lemons on hand, you may use apple cider vinegar with similar results.
Maple syrup: Optional for added sweetness, especially if your pears are not ripe enough. If your pears are perfectly ripe, you may skip the syrup. OR, you may also try date syrup, unrefined coconut sugar, or brown sugar, instead.
Soy milk: Any plant-based milk works well here. Use whatever you normally have on hand, such as almond, cashew, etc.

Instructions

(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Diced onion and minced garlic inside cast iron pan.

Melt the butter and sauté the onion and garlic in an oven-safe skillet. (photo 1)

Quartered pears in cast iron pan with spices and chopped onion.

Then turn off the heat and add the pears, and remaining ingredients, except the milk. (photo 2)

Cooked pears with liquid inside cast iron pan.

Toss to coat, and then broil for 7-10 minutes until the pears are lightly browned. (photo 3)

Pears, onion, spices and milk inside blender.

Transfer everything to a blender and add the milk. Then puree until smooth. (photo 4)

Taste and add some salt and black pepper if needed.

Then serve in bowls, garnished with cashew cream (if you’d like), and enjoy warm OR let rest until slightly chilled to room temperature.

Bowl of soup with white cream drizzled on top and pears below it.

Equipment

Make sure to use an oven-safe skillet, such as a cast-iron pan to sauté and then broil. If you do not have an oven-safe pan, transfer the sautéed onion and garlic to an oven-safe dish to broil the pears.

To blend, use a stand blender (working in batches if needed) for the smoothest results. (We love and use a Vitamix.) Or, transfer everything to a deep dish or pot and use an immersion blender with similar results.

Variations

This pear soup is mostly sweet with some savoury elements. If you want to change up the recipe here are some ideas for you:

Boil or simmer some cubed yellow or sweet potato, cubed carrots, and/or butternut squash (or other squashes) with vegetable broth, and then puree the veggies with the rest of your soup, adjusting the broth to reach your desired consistency.
Stir in some chopped shallots or leek when sautéing the onion and garlic for added flavour.
Spice it up with a dash of nutmeg, turmeric, thyme, ground ginger, or red pepper flakes for heat.

Storage

Leftover pear soup will keep refrigerated in a sealed container for 3-4 days. You may reheat on the stovetop, or enjoy chilled.

To freeze, store in an airtight, freezer-safe container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Make sure to leave a little room at the top of your container to allow for expansion.

Expert Tip

Enjoy this pear soup warm OR cold. It tastes fantastic both ways, but the flavours seem to really mingle nicely together once slightly cooled to room temperature.

More delicious creamy soup recipes!

If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.

Buon appetito

Rosa

Vegan Cold Pear Soup