Cream of Roasted Beet Soup with Pears and Ginger

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs beets (roast, then peel and chop to put in the stock)
• 1 large onion, chopped coarsely
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 Bosc or French Butter pears, (cut out the fibrous sections connecting the stems to the cores, then trim off the stems, using a melon baler, scoop out the cores)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbs, fresh ginger
• Salt and pepper

As topping: 1/2 cup sour cream, lightly whipped with wasabi and chopped fresh thyme



Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap beets in foil and roast until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour. Cool. Peel beets. Cut beets into 1/2-inch pieces.



Melt butter with oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, and celery and cook until beginning to brown, stirring frequently, about 13 minutes. Stir in ginger, pears, pepper, and 1/2-inch beet pieces. Cook until vegetables begin to stick to bottom of pot, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Add stock, bay leaf, thyme sprig. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes.  Cool soup slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in blender with cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
Gently rewarm soup (do not boil). Divide between bowls.
Garnish each with sour cream. Sprinkle with chopped fresh thyme.