Fall is my favorite season. Wearing a big sweater and eating a warm, comforting bowl of something yummy while I watch “Gilmore Girls” is a level of peace I just can’t get any other time of the year.
While I don’t subscribe to the belief that soup is a seasonal food, fall is undoubtedly the best time to slurp up a big bowl. As a soup fanatic, the recipes below (plus a pasta for the soup haters) are my favorites. Both make great leftovers and are filling enough to stand alone or act as a side or starter.
Happy fall, ya’ll. And happy cooking!
Minestrone Soup
Since I was a kid, this family recipe has been one of my favorites and I’ve perfected it over the years. It’s packed with veggies and feels like a warm hug.
Ingredients
- 6 cups of vegetable stock (or more if you like more broth)
- 2 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes, if you have ’em)
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 2 cups diced onion
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 1/3 cups of zucchini, sliced into half-moons
- 1 1/3 cups green beans (frozen, fresh or canned)
- 1 1/3 cups of small shell pasta
- 2 cups packed chopped spinach
- 1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can white navy beans, drained and rinsed
- Seasonings: salt, pepper, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder
- 3 bay leaves
- Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
- Freshly shredded parmesan for serving
- Olive oil
Directions
- Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot. Add celery, carrots and onion, stirring until softened. Add garlic, stirring until fragrant. Add seasonings (at least 1/2 tablespoon of each) and stir.
- Add tomatoes, vegetable stock and bay leaves. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower to a simmer for at least an hour.
- Taste and add more seasoning to taste.
- Add zucchini, shell pasta and green beans. Simmer for another 30 minutes.
- Taste and add more seasoning to taste.
- Stir in spinach, kidney beans, white navy beans and parsley and allow to simmer about 10 more minutes or until ready to serve.
- Top with parmesan in bowls and serve.
Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage and Spinach
This is a recipe by Julia’s Album that I found on Pinterest but quickly became a fall staple in my house. Veggies, cream sauce and pasta make everyone happy.
Ingredients
- 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 pound sausage, crumbled (I prefer a spicy sausage)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 8 ounces spinach
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- 8 ounces farfalle pasta
- Seasonings: salt, pepper
Directions
- Toss butternut squash in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
- In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add sausage and cook until browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Wipe out the skillet or grab a new one to make the cream sauce. Heat another 1 tablespoon of oil and add garlic and spinach over medium heat. Cook about 5 minutes until spinach wilts.
- Add heavy cream, bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Add parmesan and keep stirring until the cheese melts. Remove from heat.
- Cook pasta al dente in salted boiling water. Strain; add the cooked pasta to the creamy spinach sauce along with sausage. Season with salt according to taste. (Salt depends on how salty your sausage is.)
- Top with butternut squash and extra parmesan cheese.
Wild Rice and Mushroom soup
I found this recipe last fall from Lucy & Lentils on TikTok. While her measurements are more vague, this is what I loosely follow. Her original recipe is vegan but this version is not. It’s a winner that even the kiddos loved.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 leek, chopped
- 2 cups of mushrooms, chopped
- 1 butternut squash, chopped and roasted
- Seasonings: paprika, parsley, thyme, basil, salt, pepper, red chili flakes
- Splash of tamari or soy sauce
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 package of microwavable wild rice (to keep cooking time low)
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream (or more if desired)
- Crusty bread for serving
Directions
- Toss butternut squash in olive oil and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Roast your butternut squash for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees or until desired tenderness is reached.
- When butternut squash is almost done, heat butter in a large pot. Add leeks and mushrooms, stirring until softened. Add garlic until fragrant. Add seasoning (1/2 teaspoon each at least or more to taste) and tamari.
- Add in vegetable stock, rice packet, and butternut squash. Bring to a simmer and add heavy cream. Add more seasoning to taste.
- Optional: Add fresh herbs on top.
- Serve with a crusty bread and enjoy.
