We love the crisp and refreshing flavors of PA hard cider so much that we wanted to discover additional ways to incorporate it into our cooking! For a rustic and comforting dish, try this hearty apple-onion soup, enhanced with your favorite local cider — the sweetness is a lovely counterpoint to the rich, earthy flavor of the onions. Of course, it never hurts to sip one while you’re cooking―in fact, we highly encourage it!
Chaddsford Winery Hard Cider Apple-Onion Soup
| Prep Time |
Cook Time |
Total Time |
| 10 min |
40 min |
50 min |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 leek, sliced, white portion separated from green
- 7 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced
- 4 Spanish onions, sliced
- 8 whole cloves
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 cup water
- 1 (750 ml) bottle Pennsylvania hard cider
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt to taste
Method
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Add the white of the leeks, onions and apples to the pot. Season with salt and sweat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cloves, rosemary, water and hard cider to the pot. Season with salt and bring to a simmer. Cook the soup for about 20 minutes, or until the apples and onions are soft.
- Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the canola oil. Once the oil is hot, fry the green portion of leeks until crispy and golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat and drain the leeks on paper towels.
- Remove the soup from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Remove the rosemary sprigs and cloves from the soup.
- Pour the soup into the pitcher of a blender and puree until smooth. Pour the blended soup back into the pot and warm slightly if necessary.
- Season with salt and smoked paprika. Serve the soup warm and garnish with the fried leeks.
