Soup Season

Forget pumpkin spice. I've never been a fan. Give me roasted vegetables pureed into a colorful soup. That's my fall flavor passion.

I've made small batches of soup three times in the last 10 days. Once between trips and twice more since I've been home from Chicago. My signature roasted red pepper soup is on hiatus. It's been giving me indigestion, so (if I use it) I'll use half a pepper in a small batch these days. No more. I've also been adding a little heavy cream. It's not necessary, but it is tasty. 

The method is simple. (It's more of a method than a recipe.)

Lately, I've been cooking with methods rather than recipes. There's a little less certainty with a method, a little more creativity. Harder to get specificity, and if there's a batch that's really good it might not be possible to replicate it. I'll take the risk. The benefit to me is ease.

This way of thinking mildly annoys my son. He would like specific proportions or amounts so that he can trust that what he makes once, he can make again with nearly identical results. He also adores my kitchen magic. It's his strongest memory of his childhood with me, that, and our cooking together. Cooking remains magical for him. For his sister as well.

I made a tasty batch of chicken salad for our road trip. He loved it and wants the recipe. I told him I'd make it again when he's up on Wednesday and that he can watch and take notes. The method is based on one of my mother-in-law's recipes. I adapted it to my taste. Hopefully I can replicate it for him and he can capture it. I'm in trouble if I can't.

Back to the soup - here's the method: using a rimmed baking sheet or shallow baking pan, crumple parchment paper to fit and add cut up vegetables tossed in olive oil. I like onion, tomato, carrots, and a little bit of red, orange, or yellow bell pepper. Sweet potato, golden potato, butternut squash can also be used. I can't guarantee the flavor of other veg, but it's easy enough to experiment and discover your favorite combinations. I also like to add some garlic. I peel it and toss it in with the veg. The top of a whole bulb can be cut off and the bulb can be added to the pan and later squeezed into the pot with the veg after roasting and on bread. If my veg combination is carrot heavy I'll add some fresh ginger if I have it. Half to one apple can also be added to the veg mixture, especially when carrot heavy. Season well with salt and other herbs and spices to taste. I usually add lemon pepper, a bay leaf, thyme, and rosemary, Paprika and oregano also are good choices. You can easily use all of these herbs and spices together. 

Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 35 minutes. 

After the timer goes off . . . please use a timer, I got busy the other day and burned a pan of veg . . . remove from the oven and put the roasted veg in a pot. Make sure to get all the oil and pan juices. The veg can be lifted in the parchment paper and added to the pot. (Toss the parchment paper.) Stir and put a lid on top. Allow this to sit for about 10-20 minutes and let the flavors blend.

Remove the bay leaf and any herb stems. Add broth/stock to enable easy blending with your immersion blender. (I like chicken broth.) Go gently with the broth. More can be added until you get the desired consistency. That's pretty much it. Easy peasy. A wonderful, comforting, flavorful meal. 

Cream is optional. Creme fraiche also works.

I like to serve this with a little bit of crusty bread. Greens can be stirred into the hot soup to wilt. Parmesan cheese or ground walnuts can be sprinkled on top. I've also served this with a balsamic glaze drizzle. You can mix a little Greek yogurt with honey and thyme and put a dollop of the mixture on top. I've stirred leftover salmon, chicken, and shrimp into the soup. Leftover wild rice also is good in the soup. 

This is why I sometimes prefer using a method over a recipe. I've got fewer expectations of the dish and so it's easier to enhance, experiment, or entertain folly.

Fall-ing in Love: 40 Days of Noticing is a daily writing practice that opens a landscape of discovery into my own human experience. 

Katherine Cartwright has been blogging since 2012, and each year brings new wonders. She asks big qiestions of the small things in life.