Pear, Potato And Cheddar Soup

• 4 -5 medium ripe pears, cored and cut into small pieces
• 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into small pieces
• 3 ribs of celery, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (or use extra broth)
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 4 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
• Salt to taste
• Croutons for serving (optional, I made some with whole grain raisin bread and they paired nicely)

1. In a soup pot (I use an 8 quart size), melt the butter and saute the pears, potatoes, celery, onion and thyme until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the wine and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Slowly mix in the grated cheese, cream and salt to taste. Stir until smooth and cheese is melted. If soup is too thick, add a little more broth. Heat until warm but do not boil.
3. Ladle soup into cups, garnish with croutons if using, sip and enjoy!

potatoes, celery, yellow onion, thyme, unsalted butter, white wine, vegetable broth, cheddar cheese, heavy cream, salt, croutons

Taken from food52.com/recipes/14432-pear-potato-and-cheddar-soup (may not work)