Fall For Soup

5 favorite recipes to nourish and satisfy this season

Like the changing color of the leaves, the switch from short sleeves to cozy sweaters and the aroma of fresh-baked apple pie, soup signifies the start of fall for many of us in the Northeast. Sure, you can whip up a batch of soup any time of year. But when the air turns brisk, soup nourishes and satisfies like no other dish. In autumn, legumes and sausages take center stage in hearty, peasant-style pots, while starchy squashes and root vegetables blend into silky purées.

Try out one of these recipes by Kate McMillan, author of the Williams-Sonoma cookbook Soup of the Day, or use them as inspiration to come up with your own soul-satisfying creation.

Lemony Red Lentil Soup with Fried Shallots
Serves 4

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. ground coriander
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 cup split red lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Juice of ½ lemon, plus 1 lemon cut into 4 wedges
• Fried shallots

In a large, heavy pot, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander and pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the lentils, carrot, tomato and broth. Season with 1 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer until the lentils fall apart and the carrots are soft, about 40 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender. Return to the pot, add lemon juice and warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

To make the shallots, stir together 2 Tbs. flour, ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Add 2 sliced shallots; toss to coat. Heat ½ cup canola oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until very hot. Shake off excess flour from shallots and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season with salt. Serve soup, garnished with the fried shallots and accompanied with lemon wedges.

An ancient preparation—this is the biblical “mess of pottage” for which Esau sold his birthright—red lentil soup remains common today in Egypt and Lebanon. Red lentils cook more quickly than other varieties, so are ideal for soups and puréeing.

Red Cabbage & Apple Soup
Serves 4

• 4 Golden Delicious apples, about 1 lb. total
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion, minced
• 1 head red cabbage, about ¾ lb., cored and very thinly sliced
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 4½ cups beef broth
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• ¹⁄³ cup sour cream (optional)
• ¼ cup chopped dill

Leaving them unpeeled, cut 2 of the apples into quarters, core them, and then cut into 1-inch cubes. Set aside. In a large, heavy pot, melt the butter over medium heat. When it is foaming, add the onion and sauté until translucent, 2–3 minutes. Add the apple cubes and sauté until softened slightly, 3–4 minutes. Add the cabbage and sauté, stirring often, until it glistens and the color has lightened, 5–6 minutes. Add the vinegar and bring to a simmer, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the pan bottom. Add the broth, ½ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the cabbage and apples are tender, about 15 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, peel, halve and core the remaining 2 apples, then shred them finely on a box grater. Place in a small bowl, add the lemon juice and toss to coat. Set aside. When the soup is ready, remove from the heat and stir in three-fourths of the shredded apples. Serve topped with sour cream, if using, and sprinkled with the remaining shredded apples and the dill.

This hearty and delicious soup gets an extra burst of flavor from the shredded apple added just before serving. Golden Delicious apples are sweet, but if you want a sharper-flavored, crisper variety, choose Granny Smith instead.

Chorizo & Chicken Stew with Avoca do Crema Serves 4–6

• ½ skinless, boneless chicken breast
• ½ lb. Mexican chorizo, cut into slices ½-inch thick
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 Tb. minced thyme
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the avocado crema

• 1 avocado, pitted and peeled
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 Tb. fresh lime juice

In a small saucepan, combine the chicken breast with cold water to cover by 1 inch and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 15–18 minutes, skimming off any foam on the surface. Remove the chicken from the pan. When it is cool enough to handle, shred the meat. Warm a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring often, until browned on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add the oil and warm over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper, stir to coat and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken, chorizo, broth and thyme and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes to blend the flavors. Season with salt and pepper.

To make the avocado crema, put the avocado in a small bowl and mash with a fork until creamy and smooth. Add sour cream, the lime juice and 2 large pinches of salt and stir to combine. Serve the soup, accompanied with the avocado crema.

For the avocado crema, lime juice and sour cream are added to mashed avocados for a smooth, tangy version of guacamole. It melts into this soup, adding a creamy element and also helping to tame the spiciness of the chorizo.

Pumpkin Soup with Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
Serves 6

• 1 small pumpkin (about 3 lb.), such as Sugar Pie, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. ground coriander
• 4 cups chicken broth

For the spicy pumpkin seeds

• ½ cup pumpkin seeds, cleaned
• 1 tsp. canola oil
• Salt
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp. ground cumin
• Pinch of ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the pumpkin with the oil, season with salt and pepper, and spread on the prepared baking sheet. Roast the pumpkin until soft and caramelized, 30–35 minutes. In a large, heavy pot, warm the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and pumpkin and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender or food processor. Return to the pot and season with salt and pepper. To make the spicy pumpkin seeds, lower the oven temperature to 350° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, toss the seeds with the oil. In another bowl, combine 1 tsp. salt, the cayenne, cumin and cinnamon. Add the pumpkin seeds to the spice mixture and stir to coat. Spread the seeds in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake, stirring once, until golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Serve the soup garnished with the pumpkin seeds.

The best part about this recipe is that it uses almost the entire pumpkin, and the seeds from the pumpkin are roasted to use for the garnish. Pack leftover toasted pumpkin seeds in your child’s lunch box for a fun treat.

Kielbasa & Sauerkraut Soup
Serves 8–10

• 1 lb. kielbasa sausage, sliced
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and shredded
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 lb. sauerkraut, drained
• 2 Tbs. tomato paste
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Warm a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the kielbasa slices and sauté until browned on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to bowl and set aside.

Put the oil in the same pot. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring often and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot, until softened, 5–7 minutes. Add the sweet potato, the broth and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the sauerkraut, tomato paste and kielbasa, stir well to combine, and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Germany is to thank for this ingenius combination of sausage and pickled cabbage, a sour-savory comfort food. This soup feeds a crowd, but it also freezes well if you have any left over. Serve with hunks of freshly baked rye or pumpernickel bread.

All recipes and images excerpted with permission from Williams-Sonoma’s Soup of the Day by Kate McMillan (2012, Weldon Owen, $34.95). Photography by Erin Kunkel