Soups to Soothe in Fall and Winter

While I admit to a pang of regret as summer dims and rain sweeps the Willamette Valley come October, I have something to reveal to you: I much prefer cold weather cooking. There's nothing better than warming up the kitchen on a weekend afternoon either baking, canning or--my especial favorite--making soup! Whether you use a soup mix or prefer to make your own soup from scratch, hot, comforting soup is the perfect meal during the colder months, especially if it's accompanied by a piece of cornbread or a warm roll dripping with butter. Yum! Plus, now's the perfect time to roast a chicken or two and then use the bones to make stock.

So let's get started! I've included my own recipe to make chicken stock, below, and chosen some of our favorite soup recipes from the Bob's Red Mill files to share.

Golden Chicken Broth of Happiness

This is a very loose recipe--feel free to adapt it to your taste. I usually start with the bones of a roast chicken I've previously made, but you could use the bones of a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or even start with a whole raw chicken (in that case, I would simmer the broth for just one hour and then remove the chicken and remove/use the meat for another purpose). You can even eliminate the chicken and make veggie broth!

The basis of many a delicious soup: chicken broth!

Makes at least 1 gallon of broth

• Bones of one cooked Chicken
• Chicken Neck and Giblets (not the liver) from a whole chicken (if available)
• 1 large Onion, peeled and halved
• 2 Carrots, broken in half, bases trimmed (or a handful of baby carrots)
• 2 to 4 stalks Celery, broken in half, bases trimmed
• 4 Garlic cloves, peeled
  1 bunch Italian Parsley stems, or a large handful of fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp Black Peppercorns
• 1 Bay Leaf
• Optional: 1 rind Parmigiano-Reggiano (I’ve been saving mine in the freezer for just this purpose–it adds a delicious flavor to the broth)

1. Place everything in a large stock pot and cover by a couple of inches with cold water.
2. Bring to a simmer, partially covered.
3. Let simmer gently for 2 to 3 hours, occasionally skimming off any foam that rises to the surface and discarding (this helps keep your broth clear).
4. Let cool briefly, then strain through a wire mesh strainer into a large bowl (or a couple of bowls, if needed); compost the bones and vegetables if possible.
5. Cool broth in bowls, then cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, skim off any fat that has risen and hardened on the surface (optional, if you want you can use the strained broth immediately).
6. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for 4-6 months. I tend to freeze my broth in 4-cup portions in quart-size zip top freezer bags; lay flat in one layer on a baking sheet to freeze, then stack the frozen bags to save space.

You can use this broth in place of the water or broth in any of the below recipes!

Soups to Soothe in Fall and Winter

This Farro, Cabbage and Lentil Soup is perhaps the perfect fall soup, featuring earthy cabbage and lentils, and savory bacon, onion and sage. Chewy farro, crisp white wine and salty feta finish this thick, satisfying soup. Vegetarian? Replace the bacon with a little extra olive oil and the chicken stock with vegetable broth.

The hearty flavors of Germany come together in this exceptional Dinkel Soup. Wait. What the heck is a "dinkel"? In Germany, it's the name for spelt, which lends its sweet, nutlike flavor to this soup, which also stars potatoes, cabbage, caraway seed and German sausage. Yum!

Our Bean Soup Seasoning recipe isn't a soup recipe, per se, but it is the DIY version of our discontinued mix of the same name and can be used with all of our convenient, delicious soup mixes, including our 13 Bean Soup Mix, Black Bean Soup Mix, Vegi Soup Mix and Whole Grains & Beans Soup Mix. This mix of chili powder, garlic and onion powder, and dried herbs adds amazing flavor to all kinds of soups and can even be used to create chili and dip!

One delicious variation on our Whole Grains & Beans Soup Mix is this recipe for Ginger and Onion Whole Grains and Beans Soup. Fresh ginger, garlic, mushrooms and green onions create a bright-tasting, zingy soup that's especially nourishing during cold and flu season.

This Quick & Easy Mixed Bean Vegetable Soup is another soup mix variation, combining our 13 Bean Soup Mix with fresh veggies like zucchini, mushrooms and peppers with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. Note: this is only "quick and easy" if you soak the beans overnight, don't forget!

Looking for a rich, creamy soup? Check out our Creamy Mushroom and Grains Soup. Here, we combined our whole oat groats and hull-less barley with mushrooms, sherry and soy sauce. The rich silkiness of the broth is offset by the chewy grains and rich, umami-packed mushrooms for a truly spectacular bowl.

Sometimes nothing hits the spot like red beans and rice--er, Kamut®. This Red Bean and Kamut® Soup combines red beans with Kamut®, an ancient grain related to wheat, as well as onion, garlic, tomato puree, chili powder and herbs. Soaking the grains and beans (if you're cooking from dried) overnight makes this a snap to put together!

Enjoy getting vitamin A and fiber with our Kasha Yam & Carrot Soup. Organic kasha (toasted buckwheat) is simmered in vegetable broth with carrots, yams, nutmeg and cayenne and topped with plain yogurt. It's an unusual yet totally crave-worthy soup to add to your fall and winter rotation!

And finally, I love, love a tortilla soup. Combining soup with tortilla chips and possibly lots of sour cream? Sign me up. Of course this Tortilla Soup with Red Lentils doesn't specifically call for sour cream, but what's to stop you? In this vegetarian version, red lentils and black beans meld with crushed tomatoes, poblano peppers, cayenne pepper and a ton of spices to create an incredibly flavorful soup.

Which soup are you going to try first? Do you have a favorite bean soup mix? Post your comments below!