Apple Soup with Juniper
Known in Swedish as eplesuppe med enerbaer, this autumnal soup captures many of Scandanavia’s “most essential flavors,” writes Darra Goldstein in her wonderful book, Fire and Ice: Classic Nordic Cooking. “The baking spices add a warm, aromatic edge while the juniper lends a hint of smoke.” It’s an elegant, surprisingly complex soup that makes a lovely first course. Makes four to six servings.
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 50 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course Soup
Cuisine Scandanavian
- 1 tablespoon juniper berries
- 4 cardamom pods
- 3 allspice berries
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 8 sprigs parsley
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 tart apples such as Granny Smith, peeled and cored
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 2 shallots chopped
- 1 piece of gingerroot peeled
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup apple cider
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine the juniper, cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, parsley and thyme in a clean coffee filter or a piece of cheesecloth. Tie it tight with string.
Chop the apples, celery and shallots. Peel the brown skin of the ginger root off with a spoon and chop finely. Warm oil over low heat in a soup pot. Cook until the apples and celery soften, about 10 minutes. Add chicken stock, cider and the bundle of spices. Cover and bring to a light boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 40 minutes.
Remove cover and toss the spice bundle. Puree using an immersible blender or a traditional blender, working in batches if needed. (If using a traditional blender, remove the round lid handle and cover the hole with a dish towel; this will keep the hot soup from creating a vacuum; it will be impossible to remove the top otherwise.) Finish by pouring the soup through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Stir and push on the solids with a spoon to enhance the flavor. Just before serving, reheat gently over low heat, adding salt and pepper as needed.
Keyword Apples, Juniper, Swedish, Scandanavian