10 Fall Soups for Instant Comfort
When temperatures start to drop and a bowl of comfort is what you crave, look no further than these body- and soul-warming fall soup recipes
Fall and soup go together like fall and apples, fall and sweaters, fall and….soup is a quintessential fall food, is what we’re saying. And with good reason. The earthy mushrooms, gourds, and root vegetables that are starting to come in pair well with thick, satisfying cream bases, and are at their best when cooked with a moist heat.
It may be hard to imagine now, while the end of summer is hanging on in much of the West, but if you aren’t already, soon you will be craving warm, filling comfort food. And with long lazy days behind us, you’ll probably be wishing for dishes you don’t have to spend the last of your precious daylight hours preparing. Come fall, we want our meals hearty and convenient. Bonus points if dinner can be made in one pot, and if once it’s prepped, you don’t have to do much more than stir occasionally.
The answer, of course, is soup. Whether you like yours creamy, meaty, rooted in the earth, or based on pumpkin (the official vegetable of autumn), we’ve got you covered. Our soup roundup includes recommendations for a range of palates, and will please both vegetarians and omnivores. (Several can even be made vegan with minimal adjustment.) Read on for some of our favorite soup recipes featuring the flavors and produce of fall.
Creamy Squash Soup with Salad Topping
Some butternut squash soups can be too sweet; here, almond butter, lime juice, and slightly spicy salad mix-ins keep the flavors lively. For a heartier dish, add a few cooked medium shrimp (warmed first in a little hot water) to each bowl.
Mushroom Soup with Hazelnuts
Reader Sheila Piccini, of Port Townsend, WA, uses a mix of wild mushrooms when they’re in season and less expensive. We also tried the recipe with a mix of cremini and common mushrooms, and it was equally delicious.
Recipe: Mushroom Soup with Hazelnuts
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Pumpkin Soup with Pumpkin Seed–Mint Pesto
This clever serving vessel echoes your fall party tablescape perfectly.
Recipe: Pumpkin Soup with Pumpkin Seed-Mint Pesto
Recipe: Mini Pumpkin Bowls
Winter Squash Soup with Red Chile and Mint
For this soup—adapted from her 2013 book Vegetable Literacy—author Deborah Madison makes a quick stock from the trimmings of the main ingredients: She sets a pot with 5 cups of water on the stove, and as she chops, she tosses in the squash peels, pulp, and seeds; the ends of the onion; some basil and mint sprigs; and 1 tsp. each of coriander seeds and peppercorns. She lets it simmer, partly covered, and it’s ready by the time she needs to strain it for the soup.
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili
Earthy sweet potatoes add depth to this vegetarian chili. New Mexico chile powder is fruity and mild, so don’t be scared off by the generous amount called for here. Feel free to swap in any other kind of chile powder you have on hand—just use less of it.
Spiced Apple Butternut Squash Soup
Roasting a whole squash takes longer than one that’s cut up, but it can be easier (and safer) to peel and cut the squash after it’s cooked.
Ramen with Ginger Roasted Squash and Crispy Pork Belly
A far cry from the store-bought packages, real ramen starts with amazing broth. Chef Kolin Vazzoler, of the late, lamented Shimo Modern Steak in Healdsburg, California, simmered his for 12 hours. Our simplified version of his dish doesn’t take nearly that long, but it’s still over the top, taste-wise.
Recipe: Ramen with Ginger Roasted Squash and Crispy Pork Belly
Butternut Squash and Corn Soup
The last of late-summer’s corn, cooked so it still has a light crunch, accents this silky squash soup. Clare Carver of Big Table Farm winery uses rich homemade chicken broth, but store-bought works too.
Recipe: Butternut Squash and Corn Soup
Spiced Pumpkin Soup with Ginger Browned Butter
Warm spices and caramelized onions underscore the natural sweetness of pumpkin and butternut squash in this comforting dish. The easy swirl of ginger butter at the end adds a bit of flavor and a lot of style.
Golden Beet and Beet Greens Soup
We’ve used the beet to its fullest: sweet golden slices of the root, paired with dark, earthy leaves.
Recipe: Golden Beet and Beet Greens Soup
