It’s Fall, and that means soup is officially on the menu! There’s nothing quite like coming indoors after being in the crisp Fall air and enjoying a fresh bowl of hot, steaming soup with your family. And with the many fresh ingredients, you can find at Centennial’s amazing farmers’ market, you could make this month all about soup options! Soup is a great way to include fresh and diverse veggies in your diet, and get those hearty servings in. Below are a few recipes to get you started:
Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Get out that instant pot, and embrace the flavors of fall – featuring onions (any onions will do, according to The Pioneer Woman) and rich savory flavors for this flavorful soup. You’ll need dry white wine to thicken the soup – the Water 2 Wine winery in Centennial has some excellent options, and it’s right next to the farmer’s market! You’ll also need 8 oz. of Gruyere or Swiss cheese to sprinkle evenly across the top of the soup just before serving, giving your soup the savory and rich blend it needs to be hearty and delicious. This isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it type of recipe, but it definitely speeds up the cooking time with a total of 50 minutes from start to finish. Perfect for an easy weeknight meal.
Roasted Cauliflower Soup
If you’re looking for a creamy soup option, give this one a go. The biggest surprise? This soup looks super creamy, but guess what? It’s completely cheese and cream-free! The texture comes from the butter used in the dish, but the chef added alternatives for vegans and dairy-free soup lovers. It is also naturally gluten-free, and a delicious addition to your favorite salad or main dish. Sautéed onions and hints of nutmeg and lemon pair perfectly with the earthy flavor of the oven-roasted cauliflower. A blender is recommended to get the right consistency. Don’t forget to get a topping for the soup. Green onions, parsley, or chives are the chef’s recommendations.
Pesto Chicken Minestrone
If you’re a fan of delicious hearty soups, and love indulging in rich pesto, this recipe should be on your list to try next. You’ll start by roasting garlic in the oven to produce a paste for later on in the recipe. As your garlic roasts, cook the chicken in a Dutch oven or large pot with some delicious broth and a parmesan rind (we love that nutty flavor), then shred it up, adding in kidney beans, carrots, crushed red pepper, mashed garlic, kale, and tortellini. Steam just until the kale and pasta are cooked, and voila! dinner is served.
Chicken Noodle
Of course, the classics are the classics for a reason! You can’t go wrong with a good, hearty chicken noodle soup in the fall. This recipe has all the good flu-fighting stuff, such as celery, carrots, garlic, and onion, with parsley, salt, and pepper and robust herbs to complete the flavor profile. It calls for meat from a rotisserie chicken rather than cooking it yourself, which makes for an easy and delectable weeknight dinner choice. The best part is that you can do it all in a single pot! Start by browning the veggies in olive oil (stir the whole time to prevent from burning), adding the stock and bay leaves, bringing to a boil, then set it to medium for about 10 minutes while the veggies soften. You can add in egg noodles, regular-shaped noodles, or gluten-free noodles of choice, alongside chicken and seasonings. Then, set it and forget it – simmer until it’s fully cooked.
Cooking Tip: Don’t forget to keep the lid on while the soup simmers, otherwise you risk evaporating out too much of the delicious broth! Take a look at the notes at the bottom of the recipe for tips on adding extra broth and options for adding fresh noodles instead of dry ones. This can affect your cooking time.
Feeling hungry yet? Give one of these recipes a try! Feel free to pass it on. And, as always, if you have any questions about the area – property management or otherwise – we’d love to help! Give us a call anytime: (720)-738-8500.
