It’s fall. Light the fire, throw on a sweater, and make a pot of soup. We’re looking to incorporate as much fall produce as we possibly can: think carrots, persimmons, and so many types of squash. In the Dominican Republic, pumpkin is made into a creamy soup studded with cheese. Our Middle Eastern red lentil and butternut squash soup is fragrant with cumin, paprika, and garlic. Argentine locro is a hearty stew of squash, hominy, and meats like veal and pork. Paprika gives it a striking yellow-orange hue.
Lulu Peyraud explains that this Provençal squash soup has “just enough potato to give a little body to the soup, lots of celery to season the squash–no other herbs except for the parsley at the last minute… But I forgot to say that, instead of parsley, this soup is wonderful finished with chopped fresh mint.” Get the recipe for Squash Soup (Soupe de Courge) »
“Borscht was traditionally a fermented soup,” says Cortney Burns, who adapted the classic beet base to one featuring a combination of fresh and fermented carrots and beets instead. “The warming spices, fresh ginger, and alliums bring out the natural sweet flavor of the carrots,” she says. Burns tops her soup with anything from salt-brined caraway to shredded or wilted vegetables, pickled ginger, dill, or yogurt, but play around with combinations you like. For a red version, use purple or red carrots and red beets. For a yellow version, use yellow carrots and golden beets. Pass the finished soup through a fine-mesh sieve for a completely silky texture. Get the recipe for Fermented Carrot Borscht with Ginger and Turmeric »
You can get a bowl of green chili most anywhere in the American southwest, but New Mexicans are particularly proud of their chile verde, with its hunks of juicy pork shoulder and tart tomatillo-based sauce. Get the recipe for Chile Verde »
Hungarian chef Andrea Németh mixes sour cream with flour before adding it to this paprika-spiced lamb and vegetable soup. It thickens the soup and prevents the cream from curdling. Get the recipe for Lamb Soup With Sour Cream (Palócleves) »
Chicken and vegetable soup dotted with airy dumplings is a beloved Acadian comfort food. Savory—a pungent, peppery herb—adds a piney zest. Get the recipe for Chicken Fricot »
You can serve this soup the day you prepare it, but after an overnight rest on the refrigerator, the beans will have absorbed some of the broth and the soup will have a deeper flavor. Get the recipe for Fatback and Heirloom Bean Soup »
