Creamy Maple Gouda Apple Soup with Pecan-Oat Granola #AppleWeek #Sponsored

This post written by me on behalf of the sponsors of #AppleWeek. 

Products for recipe development and review were provided; prizes were donated for the giveaway, 
and this page may contain affiliate links.

Welcome to #AppleWeek! Carlee of Cooking with Carlee arranged this amazing event for you. Click to read about the giveaway prizes and to enter for a chance to win: here. 

And today, day one of #AppleWeek, here's what we have in store for you.

• Apple Bacon Turkey Burgers from Jonesin' for Taste 
• Apple Brickle Mini Tarts with Oatmeal Crust from The Freshman Cook 
• Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal from Amy's Cooking Adventures 
• Apple Cobbler French Toast Casserole from Tip Garden 
• Apple Fritter Yeast Bread from House of Nash Eats 
• Apple Oatmeal Coffee Mug Cake from Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids 
• Apple Oatmeal Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm 
• Apple Pie Steel Cut Oatmeal from Cooking With Carlee 
• Caramel Apple Nut Bars from Family Around the Table 
• Cinnamon Apple Cider Sangria from The Redhead Baker 
• Creamy Maple Gouda Apple Soup with Pecan-Oat Granola from Culinary Adventures with Camilla 
• Healthy Apple Muffins from Caroline's Cooking 
• Mulled Apple Cider from Books n' Cooks 
• Oatmeal Crusted Apple Stuffed French Toast from Jolene's Recipe Journal 
• Salted Caramel Apple Cake from Grumpy's Honeybunch 
• Savory Apple Sausage Tart from The Crumby Kitchen 
• Vanilla Brined Pork Chops with Applesauce  from Bear & Bug Eats 
• Swedish Apple Oatmeal Pie with Vanilla Sauce from All That's Jas 
• Torta di Mele Sicilian Apple Cake from Girl Abroad
• Welcome to #AppleWeek from 4 Sons 'R' Us 
• Welcome to #AppleWeek from The Chef Next Door 

Creamy Maple Gouda Apple Soup 

with Pecan-Oat Granola

For my first #AppleWeek recipe, I'm sharing a creamy, sweet and savory apple soup with maple and gouda, garnished with a crunchy pecan-oat granola!

Ingredients

Soup

• 1 onion, peeled and quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 t thyme, destemmed + more for garnish
• 4 C chicken broth (I used homemade, but use whatever you have on-hand)
• 2 C apple juice (I made my own Fresh-Pressed Apple Juice)
• 4 large apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 4 large red potatoes, scrubbed and diced
• 1 t vanilla extract (I used Rodelle's Pure Vanilla Extract)
• 2 T maple syrup
• 1-1/2 C gouda, shredded
• freshly ground salt, to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste

Granola

• 2 C rolled oats (I used Flahavan's Irish Oatmeal)
• 1 C raw pecans
• ½ C raw pumpkin seeds
• ½ C raw sunflower seeds
• 1 T fennel seeds
• 1 T white sesame seeds
• 1 T black sesame seeds
• 1 t chia seeds
• 1 t  freshly ground salt
• ½ t freshly ground pepper
• 1 large egg white, beaten
• ¼ C olive oil
• 1 T maple syrup
• 1 t garlic paste
• 2 T ketchup

Procedure

Granola
Preheat oven to 350° F. Toss all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until well-coated.

Transfer mixture to a rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring once, until toasted and golden, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool. The granola will crisp as it cools.

Soup

Pour broth and juice into a large soup pot. Add in the onions, garlic, apples, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, approximately 20 minutes. Add in vanilla and maple syrup.

Puree the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return soup to the pot and stir in shredded cheese. Heat until the cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into individual bowls. Top with savory granola and garnish with more fresh thyme leaves.

Find Flahavan's Irish Oatmeal

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Find Rodelle

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*Disclosure: I received products for recipe development and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the manufacturers of this product or the organizers of #AppleWeek.