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Apple Soup

This is a buttery, sweet and sour soup that makes an ideal everyday lunch reheated from the fridge. It can be made with any apple but it is better if they are slightly unripe or sour. Its flavour will change depending on the apple variety, and it is a good way to use up those wrinkly apples that have been sitting in the fruit bowl for too long. I recommend using a food processor to chop the fruit and vegetables. You don’t have to use homemade chicken stock – water or even apple juice is fine. If you use water, you will probably need to add more salt.

For a bigger meal, put this soup on the table with bread and cheese, or ham or potted meat with toast.

Serves 4

85g/3oz unsalted butter, plus extra to serve

1 large or 2 small white onions, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

12 apples, peeled, cored and chopped small

2 celery sticks with their leaves. chopped

leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme

5 allspice seeds, ground in a mortar and pestle (or ½ teaspoon ready-ground allspice)

1.2 litres/2 pints chicken stock, pressed apple juice or water

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a large pan and add the onion, garlic, apples, celery, thyme leaves and allspice. Cook over a low heat until the onion and apples soften. Add the stock, bring to the boil and cook until the apples are quite tender. This should take about 15 minutes – don’t overcook it or the fresh flavours will be lost. Add black pepper, then taste and add salt if necessary. Serve with a knob of creamy unsalted butter melting in each bowlful.

	Kitchen note
To make the soup richer still, stir in a splash of apple brandy or strong cider and put a spoonful of double cream into each bowlful when serving. For a different kind of soup, fry small pieces of smoked bacon or black pudding and add to each bowl. Adding a teaspoonful of toasted medium oatmeal will give this soup more muscle still.