Apple-Onion Soup with Cheese Puff Pastries

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. Butter
• 2 medium-size Sweet Onions, thinly sliced
• 1 Garlic clove
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2 medium-size Gala or Honeycrisp Apples, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
• 6 cups Organic Chicken Broth
• ½ cup Apple Cider
• 1 medium-size Russet Potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
• ½ cup heavy Cream
• 1 Tbsp. fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 ½ to 2 tsp. Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground Black Pepper

 

• 1 large Egg
• 2 tsp. Milk
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• ½ tsp. thinly sliced Chives
• ¼ tsp. Kosher Salt
• ^1/8 tsp. Paprika
• Parchment Paper

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over low heat. Add onions and next 2 ingredients, and cook, stirring often, 30 to 35 minutes or until onions are caramel colored. (Adjust heat to prevent scorching.) Add apples, and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Add broth and next 2 ingredients. Increase heat to medium, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes or until apples and potato are tender. Remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf.
2. Process mixture with a hand-held blender until smooth. Add cream and lemon juice. Return to low heat; simmer, stirring often, 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Serve with Cheese Puff Pastries.

  Note: Tested with Swanson Certified Organic Chicken Broth. To make the Cheese Puff Pastries: (Makes 14-16) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Let 1 frozen puff pastry sheet (from 1 [17.3-oz.] package) stand at room temperature, covered with a cloth towel, 30 minutes or until partially thawed. Unfold pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Whisk together egg and milk. Brush pastry sheet with egg mixture, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, and chives. Cover pastry with plastic wrap, and gently press cheese and chives into pastry to adhere, using a rolling pin. Remove plastic wrap; sprinkle pastry with salt and paprika. Cut with a 2 ½-inch round cutter, and place 1 inch apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven to a wire rack, and cool 5 minutes.