As the weather in Washington, D.C. gets cooler, soup has become a must to stay warm and cozy. Being in college means that the soup options are often limited to what the dining hall has, which normally means the same watery and cold tomato soup every day. Buying soups from places like Panera may taste great but it hurts the wallet. Soups aren’t expensive to make, so here are some fall soup recipes for those in an apartment or a dorm.
Tomato Bisque
Tomato soup’s fancy cousin, bisque, is a classic year-round soup. While most people buy it, it is incredibly easy to make at home. Instead try this easy and quick sheet pan recipe instead!
On a foil-lined sheet pan add 1 ½ pounds of cherry tomatoes, a yellow onion quartered and four cloves of peeled garlic. Cover with a quarter cup of extra virgin olive oil, two teaspoons black pepper and one teaspoon of salt. Roast in a 350-degree oven for 30-45 minutes, or until tomatoes have wilted. Carefully place all ingredients from the sheet tray in a blender and blitz until smooth. Add to a pot, with one-third a cup of broth (chicken or vegetable), and one-third a cup of heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and enjoy with your favorite grilled cheese sandwich!
Butternut Squash
A true fall classic, the butternut squash is a trademark of fall soups. This recipe can be replicated with any squash, including pumpkin! While it seems unapproachable, it is quite easy and fun to make.
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in a diced yellow onion and three cloves of garlic. Sauté until the onions become translucent, and then add in one peeled and cubed butternut squash. This can be purchased pre peeled or cut, frozen or can be done by buying a whole butternut squash.
Stir together the contents of the pot, and then add in vegetable broth until all is covered (three to four cups). Cover and bring to a simmer. Let cook for 10-15 minutes or until the squash is fork tender. Turn off the heat and blend using either an immersion blender or a regular blender.
Return the blended soup to the heat and add ½ cup of sour cream or Greek yogurt (if dairy free, feel free to omit). Once it returns to a simmer, serve with your choice of toppings. Standard toppings are pumpkin seeds, toasted bread cubes or parsley.
French Onion
While I associate French Onion with winter, onions are a fall vegetable. Give this easier French onion soup a try, plus you don’t need oven-safe ramekins.
Peel and thinly slice six large yellow or white onions. Do not worry too much about perfect unity in slices, they will all cook down. On a medium to medium-low flame add two tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of olive oil to a large pot, as well as all the onions and two teaspoons of salt and pepper.
Stir to break apart the onions and coat in the olive oil butter mixture. Cover and let sit for five minutes, then stir scraping the bottom of the pot, repeating this step until the onions are a caramel color. Add in two tablespoons of lemon juice to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom to get up all the caramelized onion that has stuck to the bottom. Let saute for another three to five minutes to cook out the acidic taste.
Add your choice of broth (beef is recommended but I use vegetable broth), and let come to a boil. In the meantime, cut up your choice of bread, add a slice of gruyere, Swiss or mozzarella to the top and broil in the oven until golden and bubbly. Once the soup has cooked down, reducing some of the water content in the soup, it is ready to serve. To serve, add soup to your favorite bowl or mug and top with the toasted bread.
Chicken Lemon Orzo
A fan favorite, this is a vegetarian take on the classic chicken lemon orzo soup that can be found on many restaurants’ menus.
Over medium heat sauté one diced yellow onion and two carrots in two tablespoons of olive oil. After five minutes add three cloves of minced garlic and let cook for one minute, or until garlic becomes fragrant. Deglaze with two lemons worth of juice and the zest from one lemon.
Then add six cups of vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. This mixture is the base of the soup, and the rest of the ingredients should be added shortly before serving. Roughly 10 minutes before serving, add a bag of spinach (fresh or frozen), two tablespoons of fresh or dried dill and parsley and one cup of uncooked orzo pasta. Cook for 10 minutes and then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Vegetable and Tortellini
A true reminder of my childhood and the fall season, this soup comes together quickly and is a filling weeknight meal.
Begin by sautéing one diced yellow onion and carrot, two celery stalks and four cloves of minced garlic in one tablespoon of butter. Once translucent add five cups of vegetable (or chicken) broth and bring to a boil. Once the soup has come to a rolling boil, add in a package of your favorite tortellini, one bag of spinach and one can of rinsed cannellini beans. Reduce the heat to a medium-low, still allowing the soup to simmer. Cook until the spinach is wilted, and the tortellini are cooked through. Serve with sour cream, parmesan or any other toppings you like.
40 Clove Garlic
This one is for our garlic girls.
Cut just the tops off of two or three heads of garlic, rub in olive oil, salt and pepper and wrap completely in tin foil. Roast in a 400-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and soft. In the meantime, peel and cube six russet potatoes and place them in a pot with just enough vegetable broth to cover the potatoes.
Bring the vegetable mixture to a boil and cook until tender, at which point the garlic should be done. Take the potatoes off the heat and add to a blender with the roasted garlic that can be squeezed out with ease. Blend until smooth (with either blender or immersion blender) and return to heat, adding salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder to taste. Chop up chives for topping, and serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese and anything else you want.
Vegetarian Chili
As a vegetarian, chili was one of the things I had missed most. So, I developed my own vegetarian chili recipe that remains a staple in my house.
Start by dicing two bell peppers, carrots, celery and one onion. Sauté in a pot with two tablespoons of olive oil. Once translucent add in three cloves of minced garlic, two tablespoons of butter and the start ingredient Soy Chorizo. If allergic to soy substitute with ground meat or meat replacement. Sautee for 10 minutes, adding two tablespoons of butter halfway through.
Add in your spices, which include one tablespoon of paprika and chili powder, one teaspoon of cumin, garlic, black pepper and onion powder. Once aromatic, add two cans of diced tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and add a can of corn and your choice of canned rinsed beans (pinto preferred). Let cook for five minutes and serve with your favorite toppings and sides, such as cornbread or mac and cheese.
Remember, all of these recipes can be tailored to your preferences. Try some of the easy and fun recipes and share them with your friends or family.