2 weeks Ago
So many of life’s moments are better when they happen in the cool crisp of fall. Reading Mary Oliver poems, for example, or taking walks over fallen leaves. Watching movies, especially scary ones before Halloween.
And of course, letting a great soup overtake the chill. This year is the third in a row that I have set out to make a different soup every Sunday through the fall season. It’s a ritual I look forward to each weekend.
I turn on an audiobook, gather my ingredients and set a pot to bubble like a cauldron on the stove for hours — then eat for a week. We in the Union-Bulletin newsroom put together a list of our top soup recipes to keep your kitchens and taste buds warm this season. Tamales from Dora’s Deli, black beans and vibrant yellow squash are the standouts in a recipe honed by photographer Greg Lehman.
Restaurant favorites come home for the holidays in a broccoli cheddar soup recipe that could rival Panera’s, or a recreation of Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana from the family of Explore editor Brittany Anderson. And there’s no shortage of pumpkin, or sweet potato, or peanut butter, or coffee, or other fall flavors that most definitely belong in soups. Put a pot on, and enjoy.
We mean it! Broccoli Cheddar Soup Broccoli Cheddar Soup Julia Eastham, reporter Ingredients: 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt freshly ground black pepper, to taste 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour 2 cups whole milk or unsweetened almond milk 2 cups vegetable broth 3 cups chopped broccoli florets 1 large carrot, julienned or finely chopped 1⁄2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, about 2 heaping cups Croutons, for serving, optional Instructions: First melt the butter in a large pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium heat. Then add the onion, salt, and several grinds of pepper and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, then sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the flour turns golden.
Slowly pour in the milk, whisking continuously. Add the broth, broccoli, carrot, and mustard and stir to combine. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender.
Gradually add the cheese, stirring after each addition, until all the cheese is melted and the soup is creamy. Season to taste and serve with croutons, if desired. Recipe from www.
loveandlemons.com . Chili With A Secret Chili With A Secret Jake Bertram, digital news producer This fall, members of our community and other communities around the country are all faced with crucial questions with major implications, such as, is chili a soup? And does chili made with beans count as “real chili”? Whatever your answers are, and whether or not we agree with each other, I think we can all agree that gathering around a dinner table with those close to you and enjoying a hearty meal together can cast away petty disputes.
In essence, that is the beauty of chili. The basic template of chili is already fulfilling, and yet, expanding upon it by experimenting with different flavors and ingredients does not detract from this cold-weather staple — whether you put beans in it, or whether your secret ingredient is coffee, beer or cocoa powder. In one form or another, this meal has everything you need to enjoy it alongside tortilla chips, topped with cheese and sour cream, or used as a topping to make the modest hot dog an exquisite experience.
When I make chili, I abandon rules and form. As I cook up the necessary ingredients, I ask myself: Do I feel like making it spicy? Are the flavor profiles balanced? What can I do to make this thing pop? I’ve got a basic recipe for a pot of chili that a family of four or more can enjoy. The measurements for spices are truly just suggestions; since everyone’s palettes may be different, I think the best piece of advice I can give you is to kick back, turn on some nostalgic music and just do what feels right.
The end result will not fail you. There’s my love letter to chili. Now, for the recipe.
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef (or substitute ground turkey or plant-based meat) 1 pound country sausage (or an appropriate substitute) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, diced 4 cloves or more of garlic, minced 2 cans (15 ounces) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 2 cans (15 ounces) black beans, drained 2 cans (15 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes 1 can Ro-Tel original diced tomatoes & green chilies 1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste 4 cups beef or vegetable broth 2 tablespoons chili powder (adjust to taste) 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for extra heat) Salt and black pepper to taste Optional secret ingredient: 1 cup brewed coffee, 1 cup beer or 1 tbsp cocoa powder (for the purposes of this recipe, I opted for coffee) Optional toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, diced onions or crushed tortilla chips Instructions: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon. Remove any excess fat if necessary.
Add diced onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the pot. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften. Stir in chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.
Cook for another minute to release the spices’ flavors. Add the kidney beans, black beans, diced tomatoes (with juice), tomato paste, and broth. Stir well to combine.
Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. For a deeper flavor, let it cook for an hour or more.
Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve hot with your favorite toppings. Goyo’s Muy Delicioso Tamale Soup Goyo’s Muy Delicioso Tamale Soup (2009) Greg Lehman, photographer What to do with a refrigerator full of tamales? This.
Years ago when I was working at Whitman College and living the bachelor life, a lady came by my office selling tamales for a dollar a piece. I bought two dozen (it was a good cause, and I was feeling lazy). After several days of tamale lunches and tamale dinners, I needed a new option.
I invented this soup as the solution. By the third batch, I felt I had it right. Ingredients: 5-8 chicken tamales (cut in half-inch slices) 1 medium jalapeno (halved and deseeded).
More or less, to taste. 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon paprika 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro 2 teaspoons Tajin fruit seasoning (or similar) 8 cloves garlic (diced fine) 2 medium sweet onions (diced large) 2 large scallions (diced fine) olive oil 1 red pepper (diced) 1 yellow pepper (diced) 2 ears corn (blackened over the stove) 2 16-ounce cans black beans (drained) 2 small zucchini (halved and sliced) 2 small yellow squash (halved and sliced) 1 large can chopped tomatoes (drained) 48 ounces chicken stock Instructions: Pour chicken stock into a large soup pot and begin warming. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan.
Add corn, beans and spices. Saute gently until corn is tender. Add to chicken stock.
In the same pan gently saute scallions and garlic in olive oil until golden brown. Add to stock. Add half the cilantro, zucchini, yellow squash, onion and diced tomato (the other half to be added later) Cover and simmer gently, while you enjoy the day.
Fifteen minutes before serving, add the second half of vegetables and tamale slices (reserve some slices for garnish). Add additional seasoning to taste. When serving, add a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of diced red and yellow pepper, and fresh cilantro to each bowl.
Left: Zuppa Toscana. Above: Peanut Butter Soup. Right: Walla Walla Sweet French Onion Soup.
Peanut Butter Soup Kate Smith, reporter Yes, you read that right. Seasoned with curry and cayenne, this soup has a litany of traditional ingredients, plus peanut butter. It’s a great excuse to clear that near-empty jar from the back of the cupboard.
One ingredient that may be new to some is the leek. A sweet relative of garlic and onions, it’s a staple in Belgian cooking, especially soups. Visually, leeks look like green onions struck by an enlarging spell.
Ingredients: Cooking spray/olive oil 1⁄2 cup chopped onion 1⁄2 cup chopped carrot 1⁄2 cup sliced celery 1 leek, cleaned and sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 cups vegetable stock 1 can great northern (or other white) beans 1⁄2 cup peanut butter 1⁄2 cup milk of your choice (I like to use coconut milk) 1⁄2 teaspoon curry powder Lemon juice Red pepper sauce Salt, cayenne and black pepper to taste Green onions for garnish Instructions: Grease a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat and sauté onion, carrot, celery, leek and garlic until fragrant. Add stock and beans and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender. Add soup and peanut butter to a food processor or blender (I use my well-loved immersion blender) and blend until smooth. Return soup to the saucepan and add milk and curry powder.
Heat over medium heat until hot. Season with lemon juice, red pepper sauce, salt, cayenne and black pepper. Garnish with green onions.
Below: Sweet Potato Soup. Right: Goyo’s Muy Delicioso Tamale Soup. Sweet Potato Soup Loryn Kykendall, reporter Ingredients: 6 sweet potatoes (3 whole, 3 diced) 2 cups vegetable stock 2 cups coconut milk 1⁄2 cup heavy cream 1 yellow onion, chopped 4 tablespoons minced garlic 1⁄2 tablespoons grated ginger 2 teaspoons curry powder 2 teaspoons paprika 1⁄2 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1 bunch of chopped green onions 1 package of bacon 1⁄4 cup shredded cheddar Instructions: Bake 3 potatoes, peel and put in large mixing bowl Mix with hand mixer and slowly add coconut milk, vegetable stock and heavy cream Fry bacon, set to side and leave the grease Add onion, garlic, ginger and some vegetable oil for a few minutes Add 3 diced potatoes and dry seasonings, stir for another minute Add soup base, simmer on medium heat for 45 minutes Take off heat, add half the bunch chopped green onions, crumble half the bacon and stir in the cheese.
The rest of the green onions and bacon are for topping. “Uh oh. Pumpkin stuff.
” “Uh oh. Pumpkin stuff.” Erick Bengel, reporter A friend’s sentiment, shared on social media in late summer long ago.
The vague dread lurking beneath our delight at the winter squash’s sudden appearance. Where did our year go? The pumpkin creeps up on us, taking over our neighborhoods, our drinks and desserts. It is all around us and deep within us, like the fog in fall, a presence implacable and inescapable.
It heralds shorter days and longer sleeves, the scent of rotten leaves and of sodden earth, more time spent socializing indoors and sitting with books before our hearths and heater grates, sweater vests for the body and soul — and seasonal soups like pumpkin chipotle, a dish for those of us, caught between emotions this time of year, in need of simplicity and warmth. This recipe from allrecipes.com yields about eight servings and, from preparation to execution, takes about a half hour to 45 minutes.
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 cups vegetable stock 1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin purée 1 1/2 cups half-and-half 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced 2 tablespoons sofrito 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon paprika Instructions: "Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour; cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. "Whisk in vegetable stock; bring to a boil over high heat.
"Whisk in pumpkin puree until no lumps remain, then stir in half-and-half, chipotle peppers, sofrito, Worcestershire sauce, salt and paprika. "Return to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; cook until thickened and hot, about 8 minutes." Walla Walla Sweet French Onion Soup Walla Walla Sweet French Onion Soup Ricky Schodl, designer Ingredients: 3.
5 pounds of Walla Walla Sweet Onions (about 4 large onions) 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 teaspoons Kosher salt 2 cloves garlic, minced 2/3 cup Port wine (any fortified wine will work, Zinfandel or Merlot are substitutes) 2 quarts unsalted beef stock 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme Fresh cracked pepper Gruyere or Swiss cheese for finishing Croutons or stale bread Instructions: Begin by slicing the onions in half, then in half again. Cut the onions from pole to pole for even strips of onion, about 1⁄8 inches wide. By the end, you'll have approximately a gallon of sliced onions.
Yes, it's a lot of onion; yes it will cook down to about a third. Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat, then add in the onions, raising the heat to medium. Throw a lid on the pot and let the onions steam down for about 10 minutes, tossing the onions twice to keep them from browning unevenly.
Once the onions are no longer rigid, turn the heat down slightly to medium-low. The onions will brown over the next 40 minutes. Using a pair of tongs, toss the onions about every five minutes to keep them browning evenly.
This is a low and slow process; the caramelization (browning) of the onions is what gives the soup its signature flavor. Keep tossing the onions until they are very brown in color, but not fried. You're looking for the color of a chocolate bar or coffee bean.
Add the two cloves of minced garlic and two teaspoons of kosher salt. Stir. Pour in the wine of your choice and bring it to a boil.
Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, getting all the bits of onion off the bottom. Reduce by half. Once reduced, add in both containers of beef stock, thyme and cracked pepper to taste.
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve the soup with shredded Gruyere and croutons. My preferred crouton uses nearly stale sourdough broken into pieces, then toasted in the oven.
Zuppa Toscana Zuppa Toscana Brittany Anderson, Explore editor This recipe we got from my husband's mom imitates the Zuppa Toscana you can get at Olive Garden. The only thing I don't like about making it at home is that it isn't endless! This recipe will make a lot of soup, so use a big pot or half the recipe. Ingredients: About 2 pounds fresh ground sausage (we use pork sausage) 1⁄2 onion, finely chopped 2 cups chopped celery 2 cups carrots, medallioned 6 cups russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces 2 tablespoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon dried basil 1 tablespoon dried oregano 4 cups fresh kale, removed from stems and torn into bite size pieces (not packed) 32 ounces regular chicken broth 3 cups whole milk Instructions: Cook the fresh sausage, onion, celery, carrots and garlic together in a large stock pot.
Break up the sausage into bite-sized pieces as you cook it. While those are cooking, add salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Once the meat is fully cooked, add your chicken broth and up to 3 cups of water, depending on how thin you want the soup to be.
You can add 2 cups, then wait until potatoes have been added to add another cup. You will be adding milk later. Bring to a boil.
Add in potatoes and boil for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Turn the heat down to very low. Once it stops boiling, add whole milk.
Do not let the soup boil once the milk has been added. Taste test and add more spices to taste — you will likely need more salt (up to a tablespoon) and dried spices. Add in fresh kale leaves.
Serve hot!.
