Apple Cider and Autumn Root Soup has an Indian flair

It’s that time of year, and we brought apple cider - that awesome unfiltered treat - home from Apple Hill over in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California on Saturday. This means I’ll be cooking with cider.

This soup is incredible. Mr. Maven pronounced it so, despite the fact that it is a tad on the spicy side. I used some of the rich Portuguese Goan-style Red Chile and Vinegar Paste that my group made during our Taste of India Cooking class at Nothing To It on Tuesday night. This was an inspired ingredient for a dynamite soup.

First make your Red Chili and Vinegar seasoning paste.

You will need:

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1 tablespoon of cumin seeds

1 teaspoon of black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon of whole cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Two 3-inch Cinnamon sticks

Two lengthwise slices fresh ginger (2-1/2 “x1”x1/8”)

12  medium sized cloves of garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon tamarind paste or concentrate

1 cup dried red That or cayenne chiles, stems removed.

Pour the cider into the blender first - ensuring a smooth paste - then add the tamarind and the remaining ingredients. Puree, scraping the inside of the blender jar as needed, until you have a highly pungent, smooth paste. Store the mixture in a non-reactive - such as a glass jelly jar - in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. This makes 1/2 cup of paste.

Next you will prepare the root vegetables to braise in a dutch oven style pot - with a tight fitting lid - in the apple cider vinegar.

 

You will need:

2-3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

3-4 medium size parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks

2 medium or one large golden beets, peeled and sliced into chunks

1/2 medium yellow or Vidalia onion, peeled and minced

3 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Two cups of apple cider - prefer unfiltered and unpastuerized

1- 2 cups chicken broth (or water)

1 teaspoon of Red Chili and Vinegar Paste (above)

1 tablespoon of butter

1/4 cup vegetable oil

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the dutch oven, over a medium high flame, adding the oil to coat. Then add the carrots, parsnips and beets. Saute them for for about three minutes. Add the onion, and saute another 2-3 minutes until it begins to become translucent. Add the garlic. Saute for another couple minutes. Add the Red Chili and Vinegar Paste and butter. Stir.

Add the cider to the pot, put on the lid and bring to a slow boil. Let it slow boil, checking occasionally and stirring, for about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock (or water). Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are fork tender. Remove from heat.

In a blender, add half the vegetables and stock at a time - so to not overload the blender jar. Puree thoroughly until smooth and combined. You want this soup to have a nice consistency, and if it’s too thick after the puree, add a bit more stock or cider.

Add it back into the cooking pot to simmer over the very lowest heat, taking care not to scorch for about 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings.

Garnish with a dollop of plain yogurt and toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve with Naan or a crusty artisan bread, and a very simply dressed green salad.

Serves a crowd - about 6.