do you have a favorite fall soup recipe? during the fall/winter i like to make soup every other week or so and am looking for ideas and thought. . who better to ask than you!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE soup!!!!
The most integral part of a great soup is the broth, so start there. I like to use either a vegetable or chicken-based stock. My favorite is the vegetable stock. I’ve always had a hard time finding a great vegetable-based stock recipe, so I took it in my own hands and created this one! Roasting the veg and mushrooms creates a beautiful golden-colored stock.
Vegetable Broth
(Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit)
- 2 large onions, peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 head of garlic, washed and cut in half
- 4-5 stalks of celery (with leaves), cut into 4-inch sections
- 1 large carrot, cut in half length-wise
- 2 turnips, cut in half
- 1 parsnip, cut in half lengthwise
- 8 ounces cleaned mushrooms
- olive oil
- bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons peppercorns
- 2 Tbs kosher salt
Place the vegetables and mushrooms in a large oven-proof pot. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of olive oil and roast in the oven uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring once half-way through. Remove the pot from the oven and place on the stove. Deglaze the pot with 2 cups of water, scraping up all the brown bits if any. Add 10 cups of water (or as much as your pot holds- an inch from the top) and add the bay leaf, peppercorns, and kosher salt. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 45 more minutes. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.
To make chicken stock follow the same method, just substitute 2lbs of chicken parts (I like to use 1 neck and back, and 2 whole legs) for the mushrooms and simmer for an additional hour or so. When making chicken stock be sure to refrigerate the stock after it has cooled and remove the fat that has accumulated and cooled on the top. It’s an easier method than skimming off fat off of a hot stock with a ladle.
Ok, now back to soup. Making pureed soups is definitely one of my favorite soups to make because the vegetable combinations are endless which is perfect for using up your fresh seasonal produce. Thinned-out pureed soups also make beautiful sauces. The basics:
- Start with sweating off an onion, a leek, or some garlic (or all three)
- Next add the spices (saffron, thyme, oregano, etc.) Sweat them off for a minute with a little sea salt.
- Add the one or two main ingredients and cook for 5-10 minutes on medium heat.**
- Add the stock and simmer for about 35-40 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft
- Add cream, butter, both, or neither.
- Puree the soup in a blender (be careful!!!) or a hand blender
- Check seasoning and adjust salt/pepper
- Push the soup through a sieve for a smoother texture or leave it as is for a more rustic texture.
** My favorite main ingredients to use for pureed soups:
- Cauliflower and Lemon Oil (add a drizzle of lemon oil as garnish) I add a tad of cream to this recipe.
- Potato and Leek. Who doesn’t love a great vichyssoise? Cream in this one too. I keep this recipe on the rustic side and don’t push it through a sieve.
- Pea
- Tomato
- Jerusalem Artichoke
- Acorn Squash and Carrot with a dollop of creme fraiche. I like to roast squashes in the oven before adding them in, in step 3.
- Asparagus
- Mushroom. I definitely like this one to have a super rustic texture.
With that.. here’s my recipe for Acorn Squash and Carrot soup.
Ingredients:
- 1 Acorn squash, halved and roasted* then peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 2 leeks, (white part only) sliced
- 2 sprigs of thyme, minced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 medium sized carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inches slices
- 8 cups of homemade vegetable stock
Method:
* To roast the acorn squash: Cut the squash in half, place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes.
Sweat off the onion, leeks, and garlic in a large heavy-bottom pot over medium heat for 8-10 minutes.
Add the minced thyme and cook for a minute. Add the squash and carrot and cook for 5-10 minutes.
Add the stock, bring to a boil and then simmer for 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
Puree the soup in batches in a blender (Be careful!! So scary!) or with a hand blender. Return to the pot and check/adjust seasoning.
Garnish with Creme Fraiche, a fresh sage leaf, and some fresh cracked pepper!
I could go on and on about soup, so I’ll just leave you with a few of my other favorite soup recipes!
French Lentil Soup
French Onion Soup
Curried Chicken and Coconut Milk Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup
