6 Best Fall Soups to Make This Season
Fall is a great opportunity to shake up your cooking habits. When temperatures drop, you can shift your cooking from light summertime meals to hearty soups. If you’re tired of fixing the same soups every time the temperature drops, we’ve got you covered.
Today, find some of the best fall soup recipes that are sure to make everybody in your home come back for seconds.
Butternut Squash Soup
Thanks to its velvety texture and rich flavors, butternut squash soup is one of the most popular options when it comes to fall recipes. It's easy to make, too.
Start by roasting your butternut squash until it caramelizes before blending it with sauteed onions, garlic, and vegetable broth. If you really want to enrich the flavors, add some nutmeg or cinnamon to add a layer of warmth.
One of the reasons that this is one of the most popular soup recipes is that it is so customizable. You can add apples to make the soup even sweeter, or some ginger if you want to add to the warmth. This dish is perfect for a weeknight cuddled up under your favorite blanket or for a weekend dinner party.
Pumpkin Soup
When fall rolls around, pumpkin flavors are everywhere. Whether you’re getting your favorite pumpkin-flavored latte at your coffee shop of choice, or you like pumpkin pie, cake, or donuts, fall is the time to satisfy your pumpkin cravings.
However, many people don’t know that they can make a delicious soup.
Cook your pumpkin puree with some garlic, sauteed onions, and vegetable broth. If you want to create a more complex flavor profile, consider adding some ginger or some curry powder. Blend everything together and then add some coconut milk or heavy cream to turn it into a thicker soup.
You can serve this as a standalone meal along with a nice salad, or you can use it as an appetizer. It’s also a good idea to add some toppings like toasted pumpkin seeds, some paprika, or even a dollop of sour cream. The options are virtually limitless with this highly customizable soup.
Lentil Soup
Fall soups are supposed to be hearty comfort foods. However, that doesn’t mean that they can’t be nutritious, which is why lentil soup makes an appearance on this list.
Gather your lentils, which can include carrots, onions, and celery, and sauté all of them together. Then, the fun begins when you start creating a deep, complex flavor profile by seasoning the mixture with garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Then, you just have to let everything simmer until the lentils are tender.
Fall and winter are some of the most difficult times of the year for people who struggle with their weight. It’s harder to get outside and be active, and it’s easy to spend the end of the year snacking on baked goods and seasonal candy.
This option is a protein-packed, low-calorie option that will leave you feeling full while still ensuring that you get to enjoy the flavors of the season.
Wild Rice and Chicken Soup
Speaking of fall soups that have plenty of protein, wild rice and chicken soup is a delicious, savory option that will leave you feeling full for hours. It also lends itself to meal prepping, which is great news for the busy home cook who wants to eat healthy.
Start by cooking your boneless chicken breasts in a flavorful broth along with carrots, celery, onions, and wild rice. When the rice gets tender, pull your chicken breasts out and shred them before returning them back to the pot.
If you want to make the soup a bit thicker, you can add milk or heavy cream, though heavy cream will make it a little less healthy. Much like some of the other options on this list, this soup is customizable, so you can turn it into what you want it to be.
If you desire an earthier flavor, add some mushrooms, or if you need something faster to prep, use a rotisserie chicken instead.
Beef and Barley Soup
Another option that will leave you feeling full for hours is beef and barley soup.
Start with a pack of beef tips and cook them until they’re as done as you prefer your steak to be. Then, move them to a pan where they’ll simmer along with your onions, garlic, barley, and celery. Sprinkle in some thyme and bay leaves to add some depth to the flavor profile.
Cook everything until the beef is tender and the barley is cooked all the way through. Consider throwing in some mushrooms and other options if you want to alter the flavor profile or make it even more filling.
Mushroom Soup
We’ve talked about adding mushrooms to more than one of the soups on our list, so it’s worth rounding things out with a dish that’s built around this incredibly versatile ingredient.
Grab some different types of mushrooms and sauté all of them together. Shitake, portobello, and cremini mushrooms typically go well together, so if you’re making his for the first time, consider starting there.
Next up, add some vegetable or chicken broth to the mix and blend everything together. If you want a chunky soup, don’t blend for very long, but if you’re looking for something thinner, you can leave the blender running a bit longer.
Consider serving this option with a crunchy bread for dipping, or along with a salad to offer up some different textures.
Embracing the Flavors of Fall Soup
Fall soups are great sources of comfort foods that can help you shake off the chill of the outside air. Start experimenting with some of these recipes and add them to your fall rotation.