It begins with the trees. First, the faintest hint of yellow along the edges, then a rush of gold, amber, and rust, until the whole world looks as though it’s been painted in warmth. Autumn in Finland has its own kind of theater: brief, breathtaking, and impossibly tender.
The air cools, the light softens, and for a few weeks the landscape feels almost generous, as if offering one last burst of beauty before the dark arrives.
And then, slowly, everything falls quiet.
When the days start shrinking, I always find myself in the kitchen. It’s not just the cold; it’s the craving for warmth, for something that makes the silence feel less sharp. Today it was soup. Apple, tomato, celery, and ginger soup. I know some of you might think, “Apples?!” Yes, apples can make this soup taste much better; believe me, I tried it even without the apples, and the taste is not comparable.
So, for making this fabulous yet simple soup, I picked up the organic apples from a nearby garden. These apples were organic and tasted sweet and sour.
I believe there’s a gentleness and patience in making any soup. You can walk away, get lost in thought, come back, and it’s still there, quietly simmering, holding warmth for you. I think that’s what I love most about it: it doesn’t demand perfection; it just offers comfort.
Soup, I’ve decided, is a gesture, a form of care made visible. When I was growing up in Iran, my mother would make this soup during autumn or whenever my dad asked for it. Whenever I make it here in Finland, the sweet memories of those good old days rush back to me. I remember my mother was doing her chores in the kitchen, and my dad was reading his newspaper at the kitchen table, while the pot of soup was boiling on the stove. I can remember the smell of this soup in the air and how it reminded me that autumn was here. This makes me miss home, my dad, and those simple days even more. But I always feel better when I taste the soup with my spoon from the pot.
Apple, Celery, Tomato & Ginger Soup
This isn’t the kind of soup that tries to impress anyone. It’s the kind that asks for nothing more than a quiet kitchen and a little patience, warm, fragrant, and gently spiced with ginger.
Ingredients
350 grams apples, roughly chopped
350 grams celery, roughly chopped
350 grams tomatoes, roughly chopped
240 grams onion, finely chopped
115 grams butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup half-and-half
Salt and black pepper
Chili powder (optional)
Chili flakes (optional)
Chives (Optional)
Optional: a drizzle of cream or olive oil before serving
How to Make It
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and let them soften slowly until they turn translucent and sweet, about 8–10 minutes.
Add the garlic and grated ginger. Stir for a minute, just until their fragrance fills the kitchen. The scent should be bright, not sharp.
Add the chopped apples, celery, and tomatoes. Stir well to coat them in the buttery mixture, then add the tomato paste. Let everything cook together for about 5 – 7 minutes, allowing the flavors to mingle and soften.
Add the vegetable stock, season with salt and black pepper (and a pinch of chili powder if you’d like a gentle kick), then bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30–40 minutes, until everything is tender and begins to fall apart.
Take the pot off the heat and let it cool slightly before blending. Use a hand blender (or a regular one, in batches) until the soup is completely smooth.
Return the soup to low heat and stir in the half-and-half. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Ladle into warm bowls. Finish with a drizzle of cream or olive oil, and scatter some chives if you wish.
Outside, the colors have almost faded now. The trees stand bare against the soft grey of the sky, and the lake has lost its shimmer. But inside, there’s warmth, and the scent of this delicious soup has filled the entire kitchen.
Maybe soup doesn’t fix anything. But it softens the edges of a hard day.
And sometimes, that’s all the kindness we need.