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Simply Beautiful Fall Soups
by Patty Liston
 My husband and I took a beautiful drive through the mountains over the week-end. The fall foliage was stunning: aspens shimmering with golden leaves, elm trees the color of burnt orange and fiery red, whole mountainsides looking like, what my husband aptly described, a fruit bowl of color.
Of course these visual delights are the harbinger of fall. Already our temperatures have dropped 10-15 degrees just over the week-end. I’m beginning to feel like a bear ready to hunker down in a warm den to wait out the winter. Of course this bear will be hunkering down with some warm soups, crusty artesian breads, and green-leafy salads! I can only assume that you will want to do the same.
What I love about soup, besides the delicious warmth, is the fact that many of them can be made with at-hand ingredients, and in a short amount of time. Also, they contain a lot of the greens and vegetables that we sometime neglect in our every-day grab-n-go afternoons. Take this Potato and Kale Soup recipe below. The kale can be substituted for spinach, or collard greens—or add all three vegetables! If you do, don’t forget to add a little more chicken stock to make up for the added bulk of extra vegetables.
Potato and Kale Soup
Serves 8
 6 ounces chorizo, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
8 cups turkey or chicken stock
8 potatoes, peeled and sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled, root ends trimmed
1 bunch kale, trimmed, washed and thinly sliced
salt, to taste freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain the chorizo on paper towels and set aside.
2. In a heavy stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute until softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add turkey or chicken stock, potatoes and garlic and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. With a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes and garlic to a bowl; lightly mash with a fork. Return to the soup and bring to a simmer. Stir in kale, a handful at a time. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the kale is tender. Stir in the reserved chorizo and season with salt and pepper.
 Download this recipe.
Homemade Vegetable Soup
Serves 4
 2 tablespoons sweet butter
1 plump shallot, peeled, trimmed, and sliced paper-thin
2 medium-sized leeks, white part only, trimmed, split, washed free of all grit, and coarsely chopped
2 medium-sized carrots, scraped, split, and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 rib celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium-sized onion, peeled and spiked with 1 clove
1 small turnip, peeled and quartered (optional)
2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 small slice peeled pumpkin (optional)
1 bouquet garni consisting of 1 bay leaf, 1 sprig parsley, 1 sprig thyme, and one 2-inch piece dried orange peel (optional), bound together with cotton string
5 cups boiling water
Salt
1. Melt the butter in a soup kettle over low heat.
2. Saute the shallot and leeks slowly until almost melted.
3. Add all the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow to cook for 45 to 50 minutes.
4. Discard the bouquet garni and spiked onion. Pass the remaining solids through a food mill or sieve and return the puree to the broth. Stir well.
5. Adjust the seasoning with salt and serve.
Download this recipe.
Easy Minestrone Soup
This soup is a hearty one-dish meal that uses easy-to-find ingredients. It needs only a salad and some crusty bread to provide a filling supper
Serves 4
 2 teaspoons olive oil
3 leeks, medium-sized, well washed and thinly sliced
4 cups organic chicken broth or stock
1 cup water
1 red potato, large-sized, scrubbed and diced
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup orzo pasta
15 ounces white beans, canned, drained and rinsed
2 zucchini, trimmed, quartered and thinly sliced
1 pound fresh spinach, washed, stems removed
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and water. Add potatoes, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.
2. Add orzo and cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, for 5 minutes. Add beans and zucchini and continue to cook, partially covered, until the vegetables and pasta are tender, about 8 minutes.
3. Stir in spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season the soup with vinegar. Ladle into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese.
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