The first thing to remember about preparing savory soups is that savory doesn’t mean spicy. Savory means hearty, flavorful and warming. There are three savory soups for your family for fall. Each soup is sure to please the most discerning tastes. Now that sweater weather is bringing us inside you’ll want to cuddle up with your loved ones and enjoy one of these delicious soups.
Savory Pumpkin Soup
For this recipe, you need two kinds of pumpkin. You will know them by their color. One is the Lumina or white pumpkin and Autumn Gold which is bright orange.
Remove and reserve the seeds of both. Next, remove the fibrous strings and place them in a large pan and cover with water. Bring to a slow boil over medium heat. Strain and reserve the brine. Bake the seeds with a little bit of salt until golden brown.
Hollow out the flesh of both pumpkins and place flesh in a large soup pot. Save pumpkin shells to serve the soup in.
To the pumpkin flesh, add 6-8 cups chicken or beef stock and pumpkin brine. For savory flavor, add 1 bay leaf (remove before serving), 1 clove crushed garlic, 1/4 cup chopped chives, 2 crushed juniper berries, 1 finely diced onion and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice. Mix until well blended. Cook covered over low heat.
Before serving, add 3 cups of half and half cream and stir until well blended. Pour into pumpkin shells. Garnish with a dash of paprika, chopped chives, pumpkin seeds and a generous dollop of sour cream.
Soupe Aux Oignons
Onions are a major staple in international cooking. When autumn comes to France, onions become a savory soup known as soupe aux oignons. Accompanied by a freshly baked French baguette loaf warm from the oven, this is a meal that makes memories.
French onion soup will warm your family’s hearts. Onion soup is simple to make. Unless you want to be creative and give it a savory bite. The recipe requires 4 to 6 medium onions cut into rings, 6 cups beef broth and salt and pepper to taste. What makes this onion soup more savory is the addition of 1 cup of leeks, (white part only) rough chopped, 1 half cup of shallots, 1 half cup of green onion rough chopped with green tops and 1 half cup of white wine.
Add all ingredients and simmer slowly over medium heat. Serve in bowls with French bread cubes and shredded Fontina cheese until cheese melts. To add excitement, place one teaspoon of brandy over melted cheese and serve flambe style.
Beef Barley and Beer Soup
Beef barley and beer soups are as hearty as it is tasty. For this recipe you will need a beef marrow bone, 1 cup of beef cubes finely chopped, 1 can of beer, 1/4 cup of barley, 1 plum tomato diced and 2 cups finely shredded Savoy cabbage.
In a large soup pot, place 6 cups of water, barley, marrow bone, and beef cubes. Cover and simmer until beef cubes are tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Add in the rest of the ingredients and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Serve in a large soup tureen with a loaf of oven warmed ciabatta or sourdough bread.
Make three savory soups your family will love this fall and become their most favorite chef.
