Pumpkin apple cider bisque is a delightful fall-inspired dish, a sweet and savory meal that combines the rich flavors of pumpkin with the sweetness of apple cider. There is nothing like a piping hot bowl of soup with a sandwich on the side on a cold fall day!
I was inspired to make this at home after having a pumpkin apple cider bisque at Christmas tea with my mom and sister-in-law a few years back. This soup is simple, but you can taste the depth. I highly recommend you make this soup with butter instead of olive oil. Preparing this soup with high-quality butter makes it super rich and creamy.
Where do I find apple cider?
Most grocery retailers will carry apple cider during the fall and holiday season. If you are looking for apple cider off-season and can’t find any, you can purchase apple cider mix and make your own. OR you can substitute hard cider in this recipe.
Here is what you need for Pumpkin Apple Cider Bisque
Ingredients
Two tablespoons of butter
One small yellow onion
One teaspoon of minced garlic
One teaspoon thyme- dried thyme or fresh thyme will work great.
One teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 cup apple cider
3 cups of chicken broth or vegetable broth
One 15-ounce can of pumpkin
salt and pepper to taste.
Optional garnishes: roasted pumpkin seeds, parmesan cheese, and sour cream.
Equipment
A saucepan or an Instant Pot. You can also choose to adapt this recipe to a slow cooker.
Stovetop Instructions:
Sauté Onions and Garlic: In a large pot or saucepan, melt the butter or heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until the onions become translucent
Add Spices: Stir in the ground cinnamon, thyme, and ground nutmeg. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Combine Pumpkin, Cider, and Broth. Add the canned pumpkin puree, apple cider, and broth to the pot. Stir to combine the ingredients well.
Simmer: Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the apples are soft and cooked.
Blend the Soup: After simmering, use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it’s smooth and creamy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can carefully transfer the soup in batches to a regular blender and blend until smooth. Be cautious when blending hot liquids; allow them to cool slightly first.
Toppings: Add a small amount of cream of half and half to the soup if you like. Add toasted pumpkin seeds, parmesan cheese, or a dollop of sour cream on top of your soup.
Instant Pot Instructions
Set Instant Pot to Sauté: Turn on the Instant Pot and select the “Sauté” function.
Sauté Onions and Garlic: Add the butter or olive oil to the Instant Pot and let it melt. Add the chopped onions and minced garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onions become translucent.
Add Spices: Add thyme, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Add Pumpkin, Apple Cider, and Broth
Pressure Cook: Close the Instant Pot lid and make sure the steam release valve is set to “Sealing.” Cancel the “Sauté” function. Pressure cook for 5 minutes on high pressure.
Natural Release: Once the cooking time is complete, allow the Instant Pot to release the pressure for about 10 minutes naturally. Then, carefully switch the steam release valve to “Venting” to release any remaining pressure.
Blend the Soup: Open the Instant Pot and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it’s smooth and creamy. You can also use a blender to blend the soup.
If you like this recipe, you should also try:
Pumpkin Minestrone Soup
15-minute Butternut Squash Soup
Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Pumpkin Apple Cider Bisque
Pumpkin apple cider bisque is a delightful fall-inspired dish, a sweet and savory meal that combines the rich flavors of pumpkin with the sweetness of apple cider.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 onion peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 15 ounce canned pumpkin
- 1 cup apple cider
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Instructions
Stovetop directions
-
Sauté Onions and Garlic: In a large pot or saucepan, melt the butter or heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until the onions become translucent
-
Add Spices: Stir in the ground cinnamon, thyme, and ground nutmeg. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
-
Combine Pumpkin, Cider, and Broth. Add the canned pumpkin puree, apple cider, and broth to the pot. Stir to combine the ingredients well.
-
Simmer: Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the apples are soft and cooked.
-
Blend the Soup: After simmering, use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it’s smooth and creamy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can carefully transfer the soup in batches to a regular blender and blend until smooth. Be cautious when blending hot liquids; allow them to cool slightly first.
-
Toppings: Add a small amount of cream of half and half to the soup if you like. You can also add toasted pumpkin seeds, parmesan cheese, or a dollop of sour cream on top of your soup.
Instant Pot Directions
-
Set Instant Pot to Sauté: Turn on the Instant Pot and select the “Sauté” function.
-
Sauté Onions and Garlic: Add the butter or olive oil to the Instant Pot and let it melt. Add the chopped onions and minced garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onions become translucent.
-
Add Spices: Add thyme, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
-
Add Pumpkin, Apple Cider, and Broth
-
Pressure Cook: Close the Instant Pot lid and make sure the steam release valve is set to “Sealing.” Cancel the “Sauté” function. Pressure cook for 5 minutes on high pressure.
-
Natural Release: Once the cooking time is complete, allow the Instant Pot to release the pressure for about 10 minutes naturally. Then, carefully switch the steam release valve to “Venting” to release any remaining pressure.
-
Blend the Soup: Open the Instant Pot and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it’s smooth and creamy. You can also use a blender to blend the soup.
This pumpkin apple cider soup combines fall flavors and will surely be a hit at your table in autumn. Did you make this delicious pumpkin apple cider soup? I would love to hear how it tuned out for you! Please comment below this blog post or tag me on social media and let me know how this soup worked out for you! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.
6 comments
This looks delicious!
I didn’t see the nutrition information, did I miss it?
Made this tonight !!! Yum!! I know your mom.
yay! I am glad you liked it! Hope you are doing well Jan 🙂
What size can of Pumpkin is used?
16 ounce can. or 2 cups
can’t wait for the pumpkin season to start so i can make soups and bisques like this one that looks delicious