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Cooler weather brings with it a natural craving for comfort foods such as soups and stews. Savvy chefs are quick to answer the call with recipes created to warm both body and soul.
Steven Greene, executive chef at Herons Restaurant in Cary, N.C., says a successful fall soup warms the body while invoking nostalgic fall memories. “My favorite fall soups include squash and apple soup with hints of cinnamon and clove; lentil stew with braised bacon; and pumpkin soup with a hint of whipped créme fraiche, honey and curry,” says Greene. "I also love using cauliflower with capers and lemon.”
As the head chef and co-owner of Julia's Beer and Wine Bar and Norma's Corner Shoppe in New York City, Crystal River Williams chooses root vegetables such as parsnips and carrots for fall soups, roasting them before adding them to soup to impart another layer of earthy sweetness.
“Puréeing root vegetables with raw celery, apples and onion makes a sweet, creamy base,” Williams says. She also will leave the root veggies chunky and add them to a stew. And for the best stew, she says, “slow cook your meat in a covered bath of beer and onions; once the meat is fork tender, add your roasted roots and cook for another 15 minutes.”
“I love a good mushroom soup. It’s a delicious, umami-laden, ultrahearty dish that’s great for the colder months in the year,” says Dave Becker, chef/owner. Who suggests adding more depth to a mushroom soup with a splash of white truffle oil. “You won’t even miss the meat, especially if you use four different types of mushrooms like I do.”
The Brazilian steakhouse just released its seasonal fall menu, which features a Butternut and Sweet Potato soup that integrates Brazilian flavors and ingredients. The addition of lime, hot pepper sauce and coconut milk into a traditional sweet potato soup helps guests connect the soup to the Fogo de Chao brand.
“Americano’s Italian wedding soup is a perfect fall and winter soup, filled with everything you want at this time of year,” says executive chef Matt Ford. “There are cannellini beans, carrots, onions, celery, escarole and fregola sarda, a hearty toasted pasta, similar to a couscous but larger and with a nice caramelized nutty flavor from the toasting process.” The chicken stock-based broth is extra rich thanks to simmering it with Parmesan rinds, salumi tidbits, pancetta, pieces of pepperoni and house-cured meats.
Chef Paul Deangelis says the restaurant sells gallons of the bisque containing blue claw crab and pumpkin and flavored with a touch of dry sherry and pumpkin spice.
James Beard Award-winning chef Tory Miller brings his own fall spin on a classic khao soi soup by combining the rich fall flavors of pumpkin and coconut milk with a spicy blend of Thai ingredients in a flavorful broth.
Michelin-starred chef Kamran Naseem has created his own spin on mole for the fall, adding cinnamon and nutmeg. “This is a kabocha squash mole with pumpernickel croutons, pumpkin seed, chive and pumpkin seed oil,” he says. “It’s my favorite for when the weather starts to get chilly. Kabocha combines with butternut squash and pumpkin into one magnificent flavor. The mole includes cinnamon and nutmeg, which are classic fall flavors. I also like to add a little chocolate and chili powder to give it a nice kick.”
Chef Richard Brower’s soup features white beans and Lacinato kale, and is accompanied by an aged cheddar grilled cheese sandwich. The beans are blended down to give the soup a hearty, creamy texture without any need for additional cream, while the grilled cheese is a classic touch that helps remind guests of their childhood.
Executive chef Richard Blankenship combines braised beef and onion broth in his sweet onion soup topped with a cheddar crouton. The soup is rich but not heavy, with each spoonful delivering a mouthful of savory and salty flavors that prompt warm memories of cozy fall and winter meals, says Blankenship. Each bowl is served with a cheddar crouton that soaks up the broth, creating a cheesy, beefy bite that emanates comfort.
Chef and co-owner Bruce Kalman takes inspiration from his fresh Northern Italian menu when creating the restaurant's ribollita, which combines traditional Italian flavors such as thyme, oregano, carrots, celery, fennel, cauliflower, zucchini, yellow squash and escarole.
