This week’s recipe from the archives is nine years old. Some things have changed. Nine years ago we were spending our weekends canning produce. Currently, we spend a good amount of our weekends visiting our thoroughbreds or watching horse racing. Some things are the same. I still like a soup with texture. Be sure to come back on Thursday to see the new apple-focused soup recipe that can be made with and without texture.
To learn more about this recipe, originally published in December 2010, keep reading.
With the cool fall weather turning into cold winter weather, we have spent many weekend days purchasing groceries, canning, and cooking. Early in the fall, we bought a half-bushel of apples and made apple butter and dried apple slices. Between the two recipes, we used the whole bag. It went so well that we decided to buy a second half-bushel and make some more apple items.
In hindsight, purchasing a second half-bushel may have been too much. We didn’t need to make more apple butter, as we already had many jars in our pantry. We made a couple batches of dried apple slices, but that only required a half dozen or so apples. No one in our house particularly enjoys apple sauce, and while we all enjoy apple pie and apple crisp, we would have had to make many to use all of the apples.
So, it became time to be creative with apples. The first new twist on apples was Apple Soup. Thankfully I have a husband who is open-minded and doesn’t hear the words apple and soup combined and decide immediately that this must be a joke or a horrible combination. The kids were more hesitant. Our 14 year old was suspicious but ended up finding it enjoyable. Our 12 year old on the other hand wasn’t as pleased, “I thought it would be puréed more” was her subtle way of expressing displeasure.
Of course, they’re kids, which means they’re bound to be more fickle. So, what did the two adults think? We loved it, me especially. Although I’m not a vegetarian, I have a love for all things made with fruit and veggies. This soup was a nice combination of those. If you prefer a soup without texture, you could purée it longer. However, I liked that there was a hint of texture to it, as it made you aware that you were eating a bowl of soup and not just sipping an apple flavored latté.
Apple Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 20 baby carrots diced
- 5 cups diced apples peeled & cored
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 4 cups chicken broth*
- 1-1/3 cup apple cider
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
- salt & pepper
Instructions
-
In a medium-sized stock pot, melt butter over medium heat.
-
Add onion, celery, and carrots, and sauté for 4 minutes.
-
Add apples, brown sugar, chicken broth, cider, and maple syrup, and cook for 5 more minutes.
-
Purée small batches of soup in a blender.
-
Be very careful, as the soup is hot. Hold the lid with a towel, and leave the lid slightly open.
-
Return to pan, and season with cinnamon, salt, and pepper to your liking.
Notes
