Autumn officially arrived on Tuesday. What better way to welcome the season than making a delicious soup using ingredients that are hitting the farmers markets now? Soup is perfect in any season, but Autumn is especially a perfect time to make soup. When the temperatures drop and the days get shorter, nothing hits the spot like a bowl of warm soup. Store-bought varieties are convenient, but they can be salty and taste overcooked. Homemade is better.

The fall season aligns well with some interesting seasonal ingredients. For example you can add any of the fall ingredients to your standard soup recipes:

Squash, acorn, delicata, kabocha or butternut squash
Apples
Kale
Cabbage
Kohlrabi
Parsnips
Turnips
Parsnips
Swiss Chard
Sweet Potatoes

Orzo, Squash and Chicken Soup

Make it vegetarian by omitting the chicken, substituting vegetable broth and serving with shaved Parmesan. You can also substitute a different type of squash or sweet potatoes.

Ingredients

• 4 delicata squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 cup orzo
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 sage leaves, torn into pieces
• 4 cups chicken broth

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line two baking pans with parchment paper.

Mix the squash with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, salt and pepper and spread on one prepared baking pan.

Place the chicken on the other baking pan, brush with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place the squash on the top rack in the oven and the chicken on the lower rack. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reaches 160°F, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and continue to roast the squash until it is tender and caramelized, about 10 minutes longer.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut it into bite-sized pieces.

Put 6 cups water in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add salt and the orzo and cook for 7 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside.

Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the remaining oil  Add the onion, garlic and sage and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chickenbroth and bring to a boil. Add the cooked orzo, chicken and squash and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, then season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Vegetable Farro Soup

Omit the Parmesan cheese for a vegan dish.

6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 medium leek, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced
• 1 cup farro or wheat berries
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 quarts water
• One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced basil
• Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

In a large soup pot, heat the oil and add the celery, onion and leek. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring a few times, until softened, 5 minutes.

Add the farro and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the grains are coated and shiny, 30 seconds.

Add 1 quart of the water, sweet potato and the beans and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

Add the carrots and the remaining 1 quart of water. Cover and cook over low heat until the carrots are tender, 30 minutes.

Add the peas, cover and cook until tender, at the most 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, top with basil and Parmesan cheese, if using. Serve with bread sticks.

Pea Soup with Ham and Sherry

6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
• 1 cup sliced celery (2 stalks)
• 1 cup sliced carrots (2 medium)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 – 14 ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup dried green split peas
• 3 ounces reduced-sodium ham, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• Whole wheat croutons* (optional)
• Plain Greek yogurt (optional)

Directions

In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic and thyme. Reduce heat to medium; cook about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, stirring frequently.

Stir in the chicken broth, the water, split peas, ham, crushed red pepper, black pepper and nutmeg. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or the until split peas are soft.

Stir in frozen peas and parsley; cook about 5 minutes more or until the peas are heated through. Stir in sherry and remove from the heat.

Top the soup with croutons and/or yogurt.

*For homemade croutons, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Cut up whole wheat bread slices into 3/4- to 1-inch pieces; place on the prepared baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are golden, turning or stirring once halfway through the baking time.

Hearty Greens, Bowtie Pasta and Tomato Soup

Use any hearty greens that are in season in this filling soup. I save the rinds from wedges of Parmesan cheese in the freezer for making this type of soup.

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 8 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 4 plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 bunch Swiss chard including chard stalks or kale (about 3/4 pound)
• One Parmigiano-Reggiano rind, plus grated Parmigiano Reggiano for garnish
• 1/2 pound baby spinach
• 1/2 pound bowtie (farfalle) pasta, cooked al dente

Directions

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and bay leaf and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add crushed red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and tomatoes and cook until most of the tomato liquid is released and absorbed, about 5 minutes more.

Add carrots, celery, salt, pepper and broth. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Stir in chard and Parmigiano-Reggiano rind. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer one hour.

Stir in spinach, cooked pasta and season. Simmer 15 minutes.

Remove and discard bay leaf and cheese rind from the soup. Add salt and pepper, if needed, and ladle into bowls, Garnish with grated cheese.

Pork, Rosemary, Chianti Wine and Pasta Soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound Ditalini pasta
• Two 16-oz cans Italian diced tomatoes
• 2 whole cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 whole sprig of rosemary
• 2 slivers lemon zest
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 parsnips, peeled and diced
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1/3 cup Chianti wine
• 1½ pounds pork shoulder fat trimmed, diced ½ inch pieces
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• Extra virgin olive oil, optional
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese shredded, optional

Directions using a slow cooker:

In a slow cooker, combine all the ingredients except for the pasta and parsley. Set to low and cook for 8 hours.

Once the soup is cooked, remove the rosemary sprig, garlic and lemon zest.

Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta to the al dente stage, drain and add to the soup. Heat until all the ingredients are hot.

Garnish with fresh parsley, drizzle with olive oil and top with cheese, if desired, before serving.

Stove top directions:

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot and brown the pork cubes.

Mince the garlic and add to the pot with the rosemary leaves and lemon zest. Saute for one minute. Add the wine and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan.

Add the carrots, parsnips, tomatoes and beef broth; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 2 hours.

The meat should be very tender. If not, simmer for another 30 – 45 minutes.

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and add to the soup along with the parsley. Heat for a few minutes and serve with the optional ingredients.

A green salad goes nicely with this soup.

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• #latinamericancook~Mushroom and Squash Soup (aroundtheworldin365.wordpress.com)
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Posted by Jovina Coughlin in Beans, carrots, celery, Cheese, Chicken, farro, greens, Ham, Herbs, Italian Cuisine, leeks, onion, Pasta, peas, Pork, Soup, squash, Swiss Chard, tomatoes, Vegetables Tags: fall vegetables, soup