Harvest Soup for Fall
Delicious Recipes Including Pumpkin, and Cheddar and Potato soup!
You may think of summer as farmers’ market season, but
many delicious vegetables are harvested in the fall as well.
When the weather cools down, the best way to eat your seasonal
veggies is to slurp them up from a homemade bowl of soup. We
start to crave soup when it gets cold because it’s a warming
food that soothes the throat and alleviates other symptoms
during cold and flu season. The five soups below take advantage
of the tasty vegetables in season at this time of year.
Don’t be intimidated – even novice cooks can turn out a delicious
pot of soup without a lot of effort besides chopping up the vegetables.
Soups freeze well and usually last a few days in the refrigerator,
giving you many meals for little work. The ingredients for each recipe
are simple, and they can be found at most grocery stores. So what are
you waiting for? Read on and start enjoying the harvest! Your taste
buds and your immune system will thank you.
Creamy Carrot, Ginger, and Thyme Soup
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Carrots are one of the world’s healthiest foods. They get their color from the antioxidant
beta-carotene, which turns into vitamin A in your body. They have an especially sweet flavor
when eaten fresh from the ground. You can also use baby carrots in this recipe to minimize
peeling and chopping. Thyme has a festive, evergreen scent, and it adds a nice contrasting
flavor to the carrots’ sweetness. Heavy cream is a common ingredient in fall soups. It has
a rich and creamy flavor, but it is also high in calories and fat. You can often substitute
less-calorific options, such as coconut milk, yogurt, plain milk, or non-dairy milks,
without greatly diminishing the flavor or sacrificing too much of the texture.
Mince your ginger. Throw the carrots, ginger, stock, and thyme in a large pot
and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for about an hour, then turn off the heat and
let the soup cool a bit before blending. Always be careful when blending hot soups
because if you don’t let the steam escape, it can explode! After it’s pureed, add
the honey and cream. Finally, sprinkle in the salt. Throw another sprig of thyme
on top of the bowl for a seasonal garnish.
Harvest Pumpkin Soup
Adapted from Minimalist Baker
This recipe offers something for every kind of cook. If you’re feeling adventurous,
make the pumpkin purée yourself by scraping the seeds out of two sugar pumpkins
and roasting them. You can then use the seeds as a garnish. Newer or more time-pressed
chefs can buy canned pumpkin at any grocery store. This soup is equally delicious with
sweet potatoes!
Begin by sautéing the onion and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer. Blend and then cook for another
ten minutes. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds, or dress it up by splashing
in some coconut milk first.
Simple Butternut Squash Curry
Adapted from A Sweet Pea Chef
This luscious recipe is perfect when you’re in the mood for warm comfort food with a
tiny bit of a kick. If you want the comfort without the fat, substitute the heavy
cream for coconut milk or Greek yogurt. You’ll get the creaminess without the cream.
Just like the pumpkin soup, you can roast your own butternut squash or buy it
pre-chopped at the store. You can also roast those pre-chopped pieces. While the
squash is cooking, add the rest of the vegetables and seasonings to a large pot
with olive oil and sauté for about ten minutes. Put the squash in with the other
ingredients and stir, keeping the heat on for another five minutes. Pour in the
soup stock of your choice, bring to a boil, and simmer for ten minutes.
Finally, blend everything until smooth and add cream or the low-fat substitute of
your choice. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Sprinkle cinnamon over each
bowl as a garnish. If you roasted your own squash, you can toast the seeds and use
them as a garnish!
Vegetable and Barley Stew
Adapted from Cooking with Ceramcor
Barley is a delicious whole grain with many health benefits. This wholesome,
chunky soup is a great way to use up root vegetables, and the hardest thing you
have to do is chop everything up. Then you can relax and enjoy a true fall classic.
Cook the onion and garlic first. Then add everything else except the peas. Bring to
a boil and simmer for ten minutes, stirring the soup now and then. Throw in the peas
and continue simmering until all the vegetables are soft. You can add more water or
broth for a thinner consistency if desired. Try a squirt of Sriracha or your favorite
hot sauce as a garnish.
Loaded Potato and Cheddar Soup
Adapted from Food and Wine
I saved the most comforting soup for last. This recipe has all the yumminess of a
baked potato loaded with cheese and other goodies in an easy-to-slurp soup. Make
it on a Saturday and curl up with your favorite binge-worthy TV show. You’ll have
everything you need for a cozy afternoon on the couch.
Fry the bacon first, or skip it to make the soup vegetarian. Sautee the onion next,
then add the potatoes, broth, water, and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until the
potatoes are tender. You can test their tenderness with a fork. Next, decide how much
of the soup you want to puree. You can blend all of it, half of it, or none of it.
If you decide not to puree any of the soup, mash some or all the potatoes with a fork
or potato masher. Then add the cheese and keep the soup on low heat until it melts.
Use the bacon and chopped scallions as a garnish. A dollop of sour cream would taste
delicious, too!
Whether you’re in the mood for rich and creamy or light and healthy,
these soups are sure to suit your fall appetite. Invite friends over to
share the leftovers, or take them to work for a week of healthy lunches.
You can also reinvent leftovers as new dinners by adding a grilled cheese
sandwich or fresh salad on the side. Time to get cooking!
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