Happy Fall Equinox!

The weather’s definitely shifted and I’m happier than ever to be wearing a cozy sweater, long pants and close toed shoes on my walks while I notice all the changing leave.

Change is in the air. And in the kitchen.

I just finishing reading Lessons in Chemistry which had a very fitting line, “Change is what we’re chemically designed to do.”

While we shift into new rituals for the season, new routines, I’m so much about going slowly. With intention.

So as we slowly move into a new way of cooking for this season, my first transition with that is always soup.

Soup doesn't the attention it deserves.

For me it’s always one of the most nourishing things to make and it really is a blank canvas where there’s no limit to the possibilities - because our imagination is as endless when we allow it to be. And the kitchen is the perfect place for that.

Cream soups, hearty soups, a simple broth that has the power to cure most anything. It’s all right there in a bowl or a big mug.

No recipes required.

It’s the perfect place to practice this because as long as you remember a few things, you can really create anything! Before you start, picture the soup you want to sit down to, and let that guide you. There are three main families soup fall usually fall into for me: creamy & smooth (or pureed), brothy, and hearty (or chunky). No matter the kind, all soups follow a similar path to a deliciousness end result: aromatics and main ingredients join together in the pot, liquid is added and then everything comes together with a little bit of time.

So let me share some of my inspiration when it comes to soup:

Creamy soups - most vegetables do well to be blended into a smooth and creamy soup. My favourites are cauliflower, squash, carrot, mushroom, and potato. You can have so much fun with different flavourings - different spices, I like to mix in different creamy things like cream, yogurt, coconut milk or cheese. You can also change the flavour by roasting your veggies first then adding to a stock. When it comes to the stock/veggies ratio I usually double the amount of stock (2 cups veggies, 4 cups stock) and once you’ve blended if it’s too thick you can add more stock or the creamy things I’ve mentioned above. I always rather it’s too thick which is easier to adjust.

Most of these when blended will thicken on their own but if you’re looking to thicken it more (typically anything with a higher water content like zucchini or mushrooms you might need to) start with a roux - I usually add a sprinkle of flour once my aromatics (onions, garlic, etc) have cooked for a bit and are somewhat soft. I know technically to make a roux you should be doing this with just the butter but that’s cooking, breaking the rules and this one always works just fine for me. If you’re not down with the roux you can always add a cornstarch slurry (mix a few tablespoons of cornstarch with water) then bring the soup to a boil at the end of cooking and add the slurry a little at a time until you get the right consistency.

Broth Soups - I’ll plead my case for making your own broth every now and then because one, there’s something so soothing in having it cooking on the stove, and two, you’ve then got a base for so many things. And you can do it with anything! I shared over on Instagram last month that I made tomato broth from tomato scraps and ones that needed to be used up. I used it for risotto but also have some in my freezer that I’m looking forward to pulling out for soup very soon. You probably won’t see tomato broth in the grocery store that often so another reason to make them yourself - way more flavour options! My basic flavours for making any broth is usually a few aromatics; onions, peppercorns, maybe some celery and carrot unless I really just want the flavour of what I’m using which was the case of the tomato broth. Once you’ve got a broth you can add so many things - chicken noodle with leftover chicken, veggies & whatever noodle you like. And if you think you know chicken noodle soup, give this a read: Chicken Soup Manifesto. I love nothing more than a good broth, bouillabaisse mixing it up with whatever seafood looks good. And there’s something about a good vegetable soup that actually got me this week as I had a good handful of veggies from the garden that needed to be used up. I could have added some beans to make it minestrone style but decided to just keep it simple. This is the thing about soup, you can use what you’ve got, season it well to make it delicious and that’s it. Simple but so good!

Hearty Soups - here’s where the line blurs on whether it’s soup or stew but to me it doesn’t really matter. When I think of hearty soups I go to things like a stick to your ribs chowder, pozole or mulligatawny, I wrote a whole thing on Ramen because it’s is a whole thing in itself - I could go on. Really these are the soups that feel most like a meal in a bowl if I’m having to define what I think a ‘meal’ even is. Tortellini and sausage, chicken and rice with whatever veggies are kicking around in the fridge, french onion with the cheesy, garlic rubbed sourdough lid browned to perfection. As I said, endless possiblities.

A few other not so secret ingredients I use for soups to bring out more flavour - because that’s what we’re here for right? To make it delicious. I keep parmesan rinds in the freezer - seriously never throw these away! Toss them in when the soups simmering then remove it before serving. I always have a jar of miso in the fridge and will use a spoonful not just for miso soup but in anything tomato based and I find it goes really well with sweeter things like squash or sweet potatoes. I use tomato paste when I want to add a little depth (and colour) to things without too much tomatoey flavour. You can find tomato paste in a tube rather than as can which I find keeps way better in the fridge. All of these have that umami taste in common - the missing piece that often adds that extra something and helps ingredients go from good to great!

Finally to add more texture, flavour and yes to make it look pretty there’s endless options for you to play with: a swirl of cream or a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, or a few drops of good olive oil will not only add to the flavour but add a little richness. Toast some whole spices like cumin, mustard seeds, coriander or chili flakes to add a little crunch. Try frying some shallots or herbs (my favourite is sage leaves), or add a bit of crispy bacon or pancetta. Fresh herbs of any kind always make things better and what there’s nothing wrong with a heaping spoonful of pesto. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice if you want to brighten up a rich chowder. And if you’re making a creamy vegetable soup save some of whatever vegetable you’ve used and add at the end for a little texture - I don this with cauliflower or broccoli and roast it so it’s got a little crunch and also a nice concentrated flavour.

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