Summer has come to a close, and we are finally diving into some fall recipes. My family has 10 favorite soups and stews that are perfect for football game nights and those chillier evenings that are just around the corner. I try to incorporate veggies and fresh herbs from the garden that I have been cultivating all summer to really make these recipes homegrown and healthy. Even if I can only add some fresh herbs or some frozen vegetables from earlier summer harvests, these small additions connect to me and my family through nourishment and love.
This family favorite is probably the most requested meal in our house. Canned cannellini beans, chicken broth, garlic, fresh sage from the garden and heavy cream combine quickly and easily to create a hearty soup using pantry staples. I like to top the soup with homemade garlic sourdough croutons. (see crouton recipe here). This also freezes easily and reheats on the stovetop well!
My first time having Brunswick stew was at a fall gathering in Virginia. The Morris family cooked the stew in a huge black cauldron over an open fire. Guests in flannel shirts drank apple cider under the colorful maple trees. Their stew was as amazing as the atmosphere, and I remember thinking that this was something out of a magazine. I still have Cathy’s recipe in my notebook, but over the years I have tweaked it a little to include Bob’s homemade pulled pork barbecue. I also like to add okra and carrots fresh from the garden.
See my full blog post here: Easy Brunswick Stew For Fall
See recipe here: Brunswick Stew Recipe
Fall season is also the beginning of flu season as all of the kids head back to school. This is our standby comfort healing soup. It comes together quickly with shredded rotisserie chicken, carrots, celery, onion, herbs and noodles. A little evaporated milk goes a long way to deepen the flavors and make this super yummy. It’s more like a stew when you reheat it the next day which is even better. The carrots and herbs from the kitchen garden make this comfort food even more special. (Recipe here).
After FALL-ing in love with the Butternut Squash Soup at Panera, I just had to figure out my own recipe. I wanted one that was easy to make and tasted smooth and creamy. I'm so happy that I could add carrots and fresh rosemary from the kitchen garden! This family favorite is perfect for sitting by the fire and feeling cozy! (Recipe here).
Chili
Nothing quite says fall and football season like chili. It’s so easy to make and reheats even better the next day. Add some cornbread and put on the game. Although I have made chili for years, I’m handing this recipe off to two of my daughters, Victoria and Hannah. Victoria's beef version includes jalapeños and green bell pepper straight from the garden. Hannah's vegetarian chili is just as satisfying! She likes to use the jalapeños as a topping for her chili. I’ll link both here.
This might be Bob’s favorite soup that I make when fall rolls around. Adding fresh thyme sprigs from the garden helps enrich the flavor. I like to experiment with the cheese topping and swap out the Swiss with gruyere or even provolone. Small sourdough croutons under the cheese make each spoonful of this French Onion Soup tasty.
When summer turns into fall, I need to use up the basil before it gets tossed into the compost pile. This tomato basil bisque is a perfect way to welcome fall and say goodbye to summer. If you did like I did and tossed some of those harvested tomatoes into the freezer, now is the time to bring those out as well. Talk about some homegrown love! Pair this with a yummy grilled cheese sandwich and dinner is done!
To me, Baked Potato Soup is the quintessential comfort food. It’s so simple yet so yummy. Quite literally it is a baked potato turned into soup. Use all of the same ingredients: baked potato (leftovers are perfect for this), crispy bacon, cheese, sour cream, and green onions (from the garden of course!) and chicken broth. Voila! Grab a bowl and go sit by the fire!
I love this soup because it stands out from the crowd of typical fall soup recipes. The poblano peppers add an amazing depth of flavor and the toppings (avocado, jalapeño, cilantro, and tomato) really make this delicious soup a showstopper. Kudos to my daughter, Victoria, who added this recipe to the list for me with her own photos and homegrown tomatoes!
As summer comes to a close, try adding some soups to your fall recipe rotation! I hope you find these as satisfying and soul warming as I do!
Nutrition Disclaimer. The writers and publishers of gingerwithroots.com are not nutritionists or registered dietitians. Nutritional facts are for informational purposes only and are formulated through an app that calculates information based on the ingredients.
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When preparing these delicious soups and stews, I find the following products make my time in the kitchen more efficient and productive. I especially love my cast iron dutch ovens and immersion blender, but all of these gadgets are used repeatedly in this ginger's kitchen!
