By Lisa L. Bynum
This article first appeared in the October/November 2023 issue of eat. drink MISSISSIPPI.
After the brutal triple digit temperatures we experienced during the summer of 2023, we welcome cooler autumn weather with open arms. Crisp fall air brings with it cravings for warm comfort foods like homemade soup. This fall, add these four soup recipes to your dinner rotation and you’re sure to stay warm, cozy and full!
Old Fashioned Potato Soup
Serves 4
Ingredients:
5 slices bacon, diced
1 cup diced celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoons flour
6 cups uncooked baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 cups chicken broth
1 Tablespoon dried thyme
4 cups heavy cream
1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, optional
Method:
Cook the bacon in a large stock pot over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot and drain on paper towels but reserve the bacon grease. Set aside ¼ cup of the bacon for garnish.
Add the celery and onion and cook for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Add the minced garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir the vegetables to coat. Cook for two minutes.
Add the potatoes, chicken broth and thyme. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Return the bacon to the pot.
Mix in the heavy cream and sour cream.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with the reserved bacon and chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Fall Vegetable Beef Soup
This soup freezes well!
Serves 8
Ingredients:
4 cups tomato juice
4 cups chicken broth
1 small onion chopped (about 1 cup)
5 small-to-medium red or yellow new potatoes, cubed
2 cloves garlic minced
1 stalk celery diced
1 (15 ounce can) lima beans
1 (15 ounce can) black-eyed peas
1 ½ – 2 cups cooked, chopped pot roast or ground beef
1 (12 ounce bag) frozen mixed vegetables
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Combine tomato juice and chicken broth in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add onions, potato, celery and garlic. Bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 40 minutes.
Add lima beans, black-eyed peas, roast and frozen mixed vegetables. Simmer until heated through, about 10 more minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Garden Vegetable Meatball Tortellini Soup
If making ahead, wait to add the tortellini until right before serving.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (16 oz.) package Italian sausage
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
¾ cup chopped carrots
¾ cup chopped yellow squash
¾ cup chopped zucchini
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 Tablespoon dried basil, optional
2 cups frozen cheese tortellini
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Method:
Heat vegetable oil in a large stock pot over medium heat.
Form sausage into 1-inch meatballs.
Working in batches, add the meatballs to the pot. Cook the meatballs until they are browned on all sides and no longer pink in the center, about 7-10 minutes. Remove meatballs from the pot and set aside on paper towels. Drain any grease from the pot.
In the same pot, add the broth, fennel seeds, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and carrots. Bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the squash, zucchini, basil, and tortellini. Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat and cook until the tortellini is tender, about six minutes. Add the meatballs and heat through.
Season with salt and pepper to your preference. Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup from Scratch Serves 8 Ingredients:
4-5 pieces uncooked chicken
8 cups water
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced celery
1 ½ Tablespoons dried parsley or 3 Tablespoons fresh
1/3 cup cooking sherry
Salt and pepper to taste
2 ½ cups uncooked egg noodles or other pasta
Method:
Place the chicken pieces in a large stock pot. Cover with the water.
Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low and boil for 20-30 minutes until the chicken pieces are cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside to cool. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bone and shred it.
Return the chicken stock to a boil over medium high heat.
Add the carrots and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the celery and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Add the parsley and sherry.
Return the chicken to the pot. Cook for an additional 7 minutes until the chicken is heated through.
Season the soup with salt and pepper to your preference.
In the meantime, bring six cups of salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.
Drain the pasta. Add noodles to individual bowls before serving.