Red Cabbage, Beet and Apple Soup

Red Cabbage, Beet and Apple Soup

Ingredients

  • 2 medium beets, trimmed

  • EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • Salt and pepper

For the croutons:

  • 4 tablespoons butter

  • 2 cups diced rye or pumpernickel bread

  • 1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

For the soup:

  • 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • 2 apples, peeled and coarsely grated or chopped

  • 1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped

  • 3 ribs celery with leafy tops, chopped

  • 1 teaspoon (1/3 palmful) cumin seed

  • 1 teaspoon (1/3 palmful) caraway seed

  • 6 juniper berries, crushed

  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice

  • 1 large bay leaf

  • Salt and pepper

  • 2 cups apple cider

  • 1 pound very thinly shredded red cabbage (remove core and quarter it before slicing)

  • 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

  • Juice of 1 lemon

For the Beet Horseradish Sour Cream:

  • 1 cup sour cream

  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

  • 3 tablespoons Gold’s Beet Horseradish

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped dill, parsley and chives

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Drizzle beets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap beets twice in foil and roast 60-75 minutes to tender. Let cool then peel off skins with paper towels. Chop peeled beets.

For the croutons, heat oven to 350°F. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add butter and melt. When it foams, add bread and toss to coat in butter. Add paprika, salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Transfer croutons to a small baking sheet and bake to golden. Toss with parsley and cool.

Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat with EVOO, 2 turns of pan. Add apples, onions, celery, cumin, caraway, juniper, allspice, bay leaves, salt and pepper, and cook 8-10 minutes, partially covered, to soften, stirring occasionally. Add cider and deglaze then pan. Add cabbage and stock, and cover. Cook soup 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beets and cook 15-30 more, stirring to wilt. Add lemon juice, remove bay leaves and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

For the Beet Horseradish Sour Cream, combine sour cream with lemon, beet horseradish and herbs. Add salt to taste.

Serve soup in shallow bowls topped with croutons and sour cream.