Savor the Season: Creamy Apple Cider Harvest Soup with Pumpkin & Cabbage

Autumn truly comes alive in a bowl of this Apple Cider Harvest Soup. Luxuriously creamy and incredibly luscious, it’s a celebration of fall’s bounty, featuring tender cabbage, sweet pumpkin, and a generous infusion of fresh apple cider. The unique sweet and tangy flavor profile is simply perfection for a crisp, cool autumn day, warming you from the inside out. This isn’t just a soup; it’s a comforting embrace of the season’s best. (Jump straight to the recipe!)

Last week marked a cherished annual tradition at our home: apple cider pressing day! It was our second year embarking on this delightful autumnal ritual, a day filled with laughter, hard work, and the unmistakable scent of fresh apples. While our apple crop this year was admittedly smaller – about a third of last year’s abundant yield – it didn’t dampen our spirits one bit. Nature, after all, dictates the harvest, and we embrace whatever bounty she bestows.

Last year, we reveled in brewing ten gallons of rich hard apple cider, alongside countless pitchers of fresh cider for immediate enjoyment. This year, we still had plenty of crisp, fresh cider to drink on the spot, though only enough to ferment into about three gallons of hard cider. Regardless of the quantity, the process itself is a deeply satisfying experience, a true embodiment of the harvest season.

Despite the smaller yield, we still had an absolutely wonderful day, brimming with camaraderie and the simple joys of working together.

Our day began with a communal effort to gather every last apple. We dispatched some of our enthusiastic crew members to scour the trees, retrieving the windfalls from the ground and carefully plucking the lingering stragglers from the uppermost branches. The air was crisp, carrying the earthy scent of fallen leaves, and the sun cast long, golden shadows, making the work feel less like a chore and more like a treasure hunt.

To add an extra layer of complexity and flavor to our cider, we incorporated any last pears we could find, along with all the tiny, tart crabapples from our backyard tree. These small, often overlooked fruits contribute a beautiful depth and intriguing tartness that balances the sweetness of the larger apples, creating a more nuanced cider.

With our baskets overflowing, it was truly “all hands on deck” for the main event: the cider pressing! This stage requires meticulous preparation to ensure the purest, most delicious cider.

First, the apples needed thorough washing and careful trimming to remove any blemishes or undesirable spots. This often proves to be the coldest part of the day’s work, as fingers become numb in the chilly water, even under the warmth of a sunny autumn sky. Yet, the chatter and shared purpose keep everyone going.

Once cleaned and prepped, the apples were fed into the grinder – a sturdy, reliable machine my dad skillfully built many years ago. It’s a workhorse! The apples tumble in, and a steady hand is needed to poke them down with a stick, ensuring they are thoroughly pulped, ready to release their sweet juices.

The resulting juicy, fragrant ground apples, a coarse pulp brimming with potential, were then carefully poured into the barrel of our trusty cider press. Each scoop brought us closer to the reward, filling the press with the raw essence of our harvest.

Then came the moment of anticipation: the pressing itself. The pressing plate was lowered, and with a collective effort, the handle was cranked, round and round. It’s a task that requires some muscle and determination, as the apples slowly yield their treasure under increasing pressure.

And then, like magic, out poured the sweet, tangy nectar. It’s the living essence of autumn, the vibrant flavor of apples bathed in golden sunlight, made all the more sweet by the collective effort and teamwork that brought it forth. The aroma alone is intoxicating, a pure distillation of the season.

After all our efforts, from picking to pressing, the perfect end to our autumn work bee was a cozy campfire and a delicious meal. The crackling fire provided warmth and a welcoming glow as the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. It was a time for relaxation, storytelling, and enjoying the fruits of our collective labor.

Around the comforting glow of the campfire, we roasted savory sausages and, most importantly, sipped on generous bowls of our signature Apple Cider Harvest Soup. This creamy, luscious soup boasts a silky-smooth base of puréed cabbage and sweet pumpkin, masterfully infused with a generous pouring of our freshly pressed apple cider. The fresh cider introduces a vibrant, sweet-tart fruitiness that harmonizes beautifully with the earthy richness of the cabbage and squash, creating a truly unforgettable flavor experience. For an added layer of texture and nutty depth, crispy brown-buttered seeds provide the perfect amount of crunch. To ensure everyone enjoyed a warm, comforting bowl, I kept the harvest soup perfectly heated outdoors in a slow cooker, powered by a long extension cord.

It was a truly memorable and delightful conclusion to our fall work bee. We continued to sip more of our fresh cider, indulged in slices of warm apple streusel cake for dessert, and departed with full bellies, contented hearts, and sweet apple cider memories that will last until the next harvest.

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Looking for more ways to enjoy that glorious fresh apple cider? Try serving it hot and spiced for another comforting fall beverage. Or, use its natural sweetness to glaze carrots, transforming them into a dish with a sweet, shimmering gleam that will impress any guest.

Kitchen Frau Notes: Understanding the terminology around apple cider can be a bit confusing, so let’s clarify! Apple cider, in the context of this recipe and typically in North America, refers to fresh, unfiltered apple juice. It has a characteristic brownish, cloudy appearance and a wonderfully robust, fresh apple flavor. You can often find it seasonally in the refrigerated sections of many grocery stores or health food markets during the autumn months. If you have a juicer at home, you can also easily make small batches of your own. This fresh, non-alcoholic version is sometimes referred to as ‘soft cider’ to distinguish it from ‘hard cider,’ which is apple cider that has been fermented to contain alcohol. To add to the confusion, some commercially available alcoholic ciders are simply labeled ‘apple cider.’

For this recipe, if you are unable to source fresh apple cider, don’t fret! You can achieve a similar, albeit slightly different, flavor profile by substituting unsweetened apple juice. While it won’t have the cloudy appearance or the exact tangy depth of fresh cider, it will still contribute a lovely apple sweetness to the soup.

The optional garnish of brown butter seeds might seem like a small detail, but it truly elevates this soup from excellent to extraordinary. It adds a delightful textural contrast with its crunch and introduces a nutty, savory depth that perfectly complements the soup’s creamy base. I wholeheartedly recommend taking the extra few minutes to prepare it – it makes all the difference!

Creamy Cabbage, Pumpkin, and Apple Cider Harvest Soup

This hearty and wholesome soup is not only incredibly flavorful but also naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan, making it a perfect meal for a variety of dietary preferences. Enjoy the rich tastes of autumn in every spoonful.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb (454gms) cabbage – approximately ½ of a small head, or about 6 cups chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (yielding about 1 cup)
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 2 cups (480ml) vegetable stock (low sodium preferred)
• 1 can (14oz/400ml) pumpkin purée, or 2 cups of homemade pumpkin purée
• 2 cups (480ml) fresh apple cider or unsweetened apple juice

Optional Garnish – Brown Butter Seeds (Highly Recommended for Extra Flavor and Crunch!)

• 1 tablespoon butter (for a dairy-free or vegan version, simply use your preferred cooking oil)
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds

Instructions:

1. Sauté Aromatics: In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped cabbage and chopped onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables become translucent and tender but not browned. This gentle cooking helps to develop their natural sweetness.
2. Infuse Spices: Stir in the salt, turmeric, ground ginger, nutmeg, and white pepper. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the spices become wonderfully fragrant and have thoroughly coated the vegetables. This step is crucial for building the soup’s aromatic foundation.
3. Simmer the Base: Pour in the vegetable stock and the pumpkin purée. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld beautifully and the vegetables to become very tender.
4. Purée to Perfection: Carefully purée the soup directly in the pot using an immersion blender until it is completely smooth and creamy. Alternatively, transfer the soup in batches to a standard blender (being cautious with hot liquids) and blend until silky. The soup will be quite thick at this stage, almost like a rich purée.
5. Finish with Cider: Return the puréed soup to the pot (if you used a standard blender). Stir in the fresh apple cider. Heat the soup gently over medium-low heat until it just comes to a simmer. Avoid a rolling boil once the cider is added to preserve its delicate flavor. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
6. Prepare Garnish (Optional but Recommended): While the soup is heating, prepare the brown butter seeds. In a small skillet, melt the butter (or oil for vegan/dairy-free) over medium heat until it becomes foamy and begins to turn a light golden brown, emitting a nutty aroma. Add the pumpkin seeds, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds. Cook and stir continuously for about 5 minutes, until the seeds are golden, fragrant, and slightly toasted. Be careful not to burn them.
7. Serve: Ladle the warm, creamy soup into bowls. Garnish each serving with a spoonful of the golden, toasted seeds for an irresistible crunch and depth of flavor.

This recipe yields approximately 8 cups of soup, which can serve 4 as a generous main course or 8 as a delightful appetizer.

Guten Appetit!

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You might also enjoy these other comforting soup recipes perfect for the cooler months:

Creamy Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

Hearty Garlic Lentil Soup

Vibrant Gingered Pumpkin Soup

Golden Sweet Corn Bisque