6 Yummy Soups for Fall

(Flickr photo by denkschema)

We’re not a food blog. Really. It’s “life with kids, made better,” remember? But we love to cook, and good food makes us happy. So… soups!

I have three different kinds of soup sitting in my fridge right now. In fall, I want soup all the time — and we make it often, using favorite old recipes and trying new ones, too. Here are six fall soups we love with links to the recipes.

Todd English’s White Bean Soup — I made this last night, using kale from our last CSA fruit and veggie pick-up for the year instead of the spinach the recipe calls for. I can’t say kale is my fave, but the bold, garlicky flavors in this soup could elevate almost anything. We amp it up with extra red chili pepper flakes. Delish.

Chili for a Crowd from the Silver Palate Cookbook — You may have noticed in the Weekly Menu that we have this on tap for Thursday night, and I’m already looking forward to it (especially if Chrissy does the cooking.) You have to adapt unless you are in fact cooking for a crowd — but it’s pretty easy, and you can always let “think about what you want to taste more or less of” guide you. We do this chili with tons of garnishes — chopped scallions, cilantro, chipotle-spiked sour cream, cheddar cheese, diced jalapenos.

Cinnamon Beef Noodles — This recipe is a take on the exact one we use, from Nina Simonds, but it’s basically the same. We make this when one of us feels a cold coming on, and you really do feel like you’re giving your immune system a boost by eating it. The fragrant broth is flavored with cinnamon sticks, garlic, scallions, ginger, and hot chili paste (not in this recipe, but do add a teaspoon as Simonds does in hers.) We recommend using a better cut of beef than stew meat — buy a steak about an inch and a half thick and then slice it into slightly bigger than bite-size chunks. At the end, you add spinach and let it wilt, then serve the steaming soup over noodles. We adore it.

Silky Cauliflower Soup from Smitten Kitchen — This one’s a newcomer to our fall soup line-up, and it’s tasty and simple to prepare. Finely-grated Parmesan gives it a smooth and silky texture, and it makes a perfectly satisfying light supper paired with a nice green salad. (We heart the Smit Kit — scan the site for other tempting recipes and beautiful photos, too.)

Broccoli Soup with Chive-Cayenne Oil — Another new recipe — thanks, CSA veggie bounty, for prompting us to find new and untried uses for broccoli, cauliflower, various winter squashes, and more! This soup is also a snap to prepare and the chive-cayenne oil adds heat and depth to what might otherwise be a quiet little dish (hint: add more than a pinch of cayenne.) You’ll probably have more oil than you need, so don’t forget the crusty bread when you make this one — the oil is great for dunking.

Delicata Squash Bisque — This one’s from a sweet site (with gorgeous photos) called Vegan Yum-Yum. We’re not a vegan household by a long stretch, but this soup is wonderful — truly fall in a bowl (thanks, Katie!) It calls for a “cashew cream” to add texture — I might have had my doubts about this, but not after tasting the finished product. You can make it with other kinds of squash, too, but if you can seek out delicata, do. Fab flavor.

(Photo by Lolo at Vegan Yum-Yum)

What are your favorite fall and winter soups? Tell us! We’re always looking for more inspiration.

Happy eating!

(Top photo, denkschema on Flickr. Middle, Vegan Yum-Yum. Bottom, broccoli soup with chive-cayenne oil, Shiny Brite)