5 Comforting Soups for Fall

1. Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup with Breakfast Sausage

Featured in “Gentleman Farmer,” March 2018

1 butternut squash
olive oil
kosher salt and white pepper, to taste
2 sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 pound bulk breakfast sausage
1/2 lemon, juiced and seeded
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut squash in half and scoop out the guts and seeds of each half. Lightly rub each side with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Lay the squash flesh side up on a baking sheet.
3. Place whole sweet potatoes on a separate cooking sheet and place both pans in the oven for about 40 minutes to an hour or until vegetables are soft. Remove from the oven and let cool. Remove the flesh from the squash and potatoes and set aside.
4. Melt butter in a 2-quart saucepan. Add onion and cook until translucent and soft. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and add the flesh of the squash and potatoes. Add the stock, thyme and pumpkin spice. Return to heat and slowly simmer for 15 minutes.
6. While the soup is simmering, brown the sausage in a skillet and set aside.
7. Puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in the cooked sausage and lemon juice, and season to taste with kosher salt and white pepper. If desired, finish the soup with cream to add richness. Serves 8 – 10.

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2. Green Chili Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

Featured in “South by Southwest“, November 2016

Recipe courtesy of Chef Arwen Rice, Red or White

5 pieces bacon, diced
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 bay leaves
1 pound black beans, soaked overnight
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 – 4 teaspoons salt
3 (4-ounce) cans diced green chilis (Arwen uses Hatch brand from New Mexico.)
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 medium sweet potatoes, diced small
sour cream and corn chips, for garnish

1. Heat a large soup pot and add the diced bacon.
2. Once the bacon has browned a bit, add the onion and garlic. Sauté for 5 – 7 minutes then add the chili powder, cumin and bay leaves. Sauté for another 2 minutes, then add the black beans and remaining ingredients except for the sweet potatoes and sour cream.
3. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours over medium-low heat. Stir frequently.
4. Test a bean after an hour and if it is soft, add the sweet potatoes. Simmer another 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft.
5. Remove 3 cups of the soup out of the pot and mash with a potato masher then add back to the soup and stir. Portion into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream and chips. Serves approximately 8 – 10

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3. Beans and Greens Soup

Featured in “4 Recipes for Winter Greens,” January 2022

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups finely diced greens (we used kale)
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oil in large stockpot over medium heat. Saute onion and sausage until onion is soft, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add garlic and thyme and stir until garlic is soft and translucent. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Check seasonings and serve with crusty French bread or cornbread. Serves 6

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4. Pumpkin Curry Soup

Featured in “A Second Helping of Bay Appetit,” October 2015

This glorious, lush soup is ideal for autumn.

1 large pumpkin
2 sticks butter, divided
1 tablespoon coriander
2 teaspoons cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 – 2 dried chili peppers, chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
salt, to taste
2 large yellow onions, peeled and diced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 – 4 quarts chicken stock (may need more depending on the size of the pumpkin)
2 tablespoons good-quality curry paste (red or yellow)
2 (15-ounce) cans coconut cream

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut off the top of the pumpkin and scrape out all the seeds.
3. Drop 1 stick of butter into pumpkin along with the coriander, cardamom, ground cloves, chili peppers, fennel seeds and salt.
4. Put the lid back on the pumpkin, and bake on a cookie sheet in the oven for 1 hour.
5. Remove and let cool at least 30 minutes.
6. In a stockpot, sauté onions, bell peppers and carrots with remaining stick of butter until softened.
7. Scoop flesh and spices out of the shell of the pumpkin. Add to stockpot. Add chicken stock.
8. Add curry paste and coconut cream to the pot. Puree until completely smooth. Serve hot. Serves 10 – 15

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5. Provencal Soup

Featured in “Best Kitchen Ingredients for Busy Moms,” August 2018

Rebecca recommends using a good white wine for the soup — then you can drink the rest with dinner!

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium carrots, 1/2-inch diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium zucchini, 1/2-inch diced
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
1 medium yellow onion, peeled, 1/2-inch diced
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence, or 1 teaspoon each dried sage, rosemary and thyme
1 cup dry white wine
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 pounds red-skinned potatoes, 1/2-inch diced
1 quart plus 1 cup chicken stock
1 pound diced chicken breast
crusty French bread for serving

1. Heat olive oil in a medium soup pot over medium high heat. Add carrots, then garlic, and stir to coat in oil. Add the zucchini, pepper and onion. Season with salt and pepper and herbes de Provence. Cook an additional 5 minutes.
2. Add wine and reduce a minute or so. Add the tomatoes, potatoes and stock to the pot. Cover and raise heat to high. Bring the soup to a boil, then add chicken and simmer 8 – 10 minutes until potatoes are just tender and chicken is cooked through.
3. Serve with hot crusty bread for sopping. Serves 8.