Apple-Onion Soup

By á-6627

Slowly caramelizing onion in butter over low heat coaxes out their sweetness and add deeper flavor to this ever-so-sweet fall soup.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 med-size sweet onions, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 med-size Gala or Honeycrisp apples, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch-thick slices
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1 med-size russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 to 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Cheese Puff Pastries

Preparation

Step 1

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over low heat. Add onions and next 2 ingredients, and cook, stirring often, 30 to 35 minutes or until onions are caramel colored. (Adjust heat to prevent scorching.) Add apples, and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Add broth and next 2 ingredients. Increase heat to medium, and bring to a boil. Stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes or until apples and potato are tender. Remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

Process mixture with a hand-held blender until smooth. Add cream and lemon juice. Return to low heat; simmer, stirring often, 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Serve with Cheese Puff Pastries.

Cheese Puff Pastries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Let 1 frozen puff pastry sheet (from 1 (17.3 oz) package) stand at room temperature, covered with a cloth towel, 30 minutes or until partially thawed. Unfold pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Whisk together 1 large egg and 2 tsp. milk. Brush pastry sheet with egg mixture, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 2 Tbsp. freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese, and 1/2 tsp thinly sliced chives. Cover pastry with plastic wrap, and gently press with plastic wrap, and gently press cheese and chives into pastry to adhere, using a rolling pin. Remove plastic wrap; sprinkle pastry with 1/4 tsp kosher salt and 1/8 tsp paprika. Cut with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter, and place 1 inch apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven to a wire rack, and cool 5 minutes. I find that there is a lot of waste cutting them round to in order to use all of the pastry I would cut them square are rectangular.