Pumpkin Apple Cider Soup + Giveaway!
One of the ways I ease my way into cold weather cooking is with soup. It is nurturing and fortifying, without being super heavy like a winter lasagna. Over the weekend the temperature finally dropped a bit and I made this easy pot of soup for dinner. It was perfect for a cool fall night and fit the mood with all the delicious pumpkin flavor.
What I love about this soup is that it is simple to make and every bit of it tastes like fall. I made it with fresh picked apples from our local farm, and cider that had been fresh pressed at the green grocer. My daughter even hand selected the apples she wanted me to use, citing the reddest ones as “totally the best” for soup. I think her little brother agreed with her choices, he loved the final product.
This bowl of comfort was terrific for a cool night at home and for getting in the Halloween spirit. It would also be wonderful for fall entertaining in the yard or sending off to work in an insulated container. Next time I might try adding a little spice with some fresh grated ginger root, especially if there is someone with a cold in the house. Until then, however, this is being served up to the happy, healthy smiles around our table.
With Halloween just around the corner is definitely time to start thinking about Halloween menus and fall entertaining. Don’t forget to check out Kraft for some amazing Halloween recipes, and enter to win one of their awesome prize packs to inspire you in the kitchen!
To get you in the mood for fall Kraft is offering any awesome giveaway to Naptime Chef readers! It includes:
- JET-PUFFED MARSHMALLOW (Pumpkin Spice MALLOWS, Ghost MALLOWS, Pumpkin MALLOWS)
- JELL-O Molds (JIGGLERS Halloween mold)
- KRAFT Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Dinner (Halloween Shapes)
- PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Pumpkin Spice Flavor (Limited Edition) + coupon
- MAXWELL HOUSE INTERNATIONAL CAFÉ Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Glow in the Dark Ghostly Treat Bucket
- Halloween Picks
- Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin Scraper Scoop
- Halloween Cocktail Tiered Tray
- Spider Web Clear Plastic Table Cover
- Happy Hauntings Dip Bowl Set
- Bones Cookie Pan
- Halloween Fun Stickers
To Enter to win:
1) Leave a comment sharing your favorite Halloween party food.
2) Subscribe to Kelsey Banfield on Facebook.
3) Contest runs from October 9th at 7:00am through October 16th at 7:00am. Winner will be announced in the Friday October 18th newsletter. US residents only, please.
(Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Kraft. Kraft Foods is providing the prizes for this program at no cost to me and has provided me with a gift of equal value for review. This program is not administered or sponsored by Kraft Foods or its affiliates, but solely by The Naptime Chef. The recipe and photographs are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make The Naptime Chef possible.)
Ingredients
- 2 apples, peeled and diced (I like honeycrisp)
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 cups low sodium chicken stock
- ¾ cup apple cider
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cans (15 ounce –each) pumpkin puree
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ½ cup cream
Instructions
- 1. Set a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then add the onion, apple, and a pinch of kosher salt. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
- 2. Pour in the chicken stock, cider, thyme, and pepper and bring the mixture to a boil for one minute. Then, add the pumpkin and stir the ingredients together until smooth. Use an immersion blender to puree it until smooth.
- 3. Finally, stir in the cream and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Simmer the soup for about ten minutes, or until heated through. Serve warm.
Pumpkin dip served up with gingersnap cookies and apple slices
I love these peanut butter cup spider cookies we made!
My favorite Halloween party food is bugles dipped in chocolate to look like witches fingers!
I subscribe to Kelsey Banfield on Facebook!
We always have fun making the spiderweb brownies. My favorite Halloween party food is caramel apples.
I’m a subscriber!
Pumpkin Cranraisin Bread is my favorite Halloween Party Food
Chocolate candy corn 🙂 !
I’m a subscriber also
I don’t have a favorite Halloween party food but I do love the day after sales on candy =)
I am a FB subscriber
Candy! Candy is my favorite Halloween food 🙂
I’m also a subscriber
like you on FB
caramel apples are always fun
FB subscriber
Anything with candy corn works for me!
my favorite Halloween party food is anything with toasted marshmallows!
I subscribe to KB on FB!
I just love witch finger cookies on a Halloween party spread. Creepy, but ooooooh so tasty! P.S. I have been making soup like crazy…I think I am going in to hibernation mode, and it’s only October! Pumpkin apple cider soup might have to be next on the list 🙂
Oh yeah, and I follow you on Facebook.
We just moved across country and we would use these items to
create a Spooktacular Halloween party to meet the neighbors! One item I would
definitely make from the Kraft site is Halloween Poke Cake
Follow you on Facebook as d schmidt
[email protected]
I love caramel apples
[email protected]
We love to make Krafts Snake bite Calzone
[email protected]
follow on FB
[email protected]