I love it when the heat of summer breaks and the colder temperatures start to arrive. There are a lot of reasons why I love this time of year, not least of which is because it means it is once again time for hearty, filling soups.
Today, I'm going to keep this post very simple and just share with you my 3 favourite autumn soup recipes. No preamble, no discussion, here are the recipes, enjoy!
Each of these soups represents a different style of soup-making, from the slow patience of caramelizing onions to the hands-off simplicity of a puree. If you want to dive deeper into what makes a great soup, I've written an entire guide on soup secrets that covers the fundamentals. You might also enjoy my broader piece on understanding soup if you're looking to build your soup-making confidence.
French Onion Soup
French Onion Soup is one of those dishes that rewards patience more than skill. The recipe itself is straightforward: you slowly caramelize 10 pounds of onions over 4 to 5 hours, deglaze with red wine, add beef stock and thyme, then serve it under a blanket of melted Gruyere cheese. The result is deeply savoury, naturally sweet, and absolutely worth the wait.
The key here is low and slow. You're not just cooking the onions; you're coaxing out their natural sugars until they turn a deep, rich brown. Don't rush this step. Add the onions in batches so they soften and reduce before you add more. Once the onions are caramelized, the rest of the soup comes together in under 30 minutes.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 lbs Onions thinly sliced
- 1-2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ bottle Red Wine
- 1 ½ L Beef Stock
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Thyme Leaves
- Salt & Pepper To taste
- 2 cups Croutons
- 1 cup Gruyere Cheese, Grated
Instructions
- Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat.
- Add in the olive oil and half the onions.
- Cook until the onions soften and start to caramelize.
- Add in half of the onions that are left and cook until they soften and start to caramelize.
- Repeat this process with the remaining onions.
- Turn the heat down to low and cook the onions, stirring occasionally until they are a deep brown colour and smell sweet. This will take about 4 ½ - 5 hours though you only have to stir once in a while.
- Turn the heat back up to medium and add in the red wine.
- Cook for about 10 minutes or until half the wine has evaporated.
- Add in the beef stock, thyme, and some salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
- Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Taste the soup and adjust seasoning.
- To serve the soup, scoop it into oven-safe bowls, garnish it with croutons topped with the gruyere cheese and cook under the broiler until the cheese melts.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
This is my take on butternut squash soup, and the twist is simple: roast the squash first. Roasting at 400°F for 40 minutes caramelizes the natural sugars in the squash and creates a depth of flavour that you just can't get from boiling it raw. Toss the squash with thyme sprigs, olive oil, and a pinch of salt before it goes in the oven.
While the squash is roasting, you'll cook onions and garlic in butter and olive oil, then add maple syrup for a touch of sweetness. Once the squash joins the pot with enough water to cover it by an inch, you bring everything to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes, and puree with a stick blender. Serve it with a drizzle of cream, cracked pepper, and a few fresh thyme leaves.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Butternut Squash, Diced about 8 cups
- 5 sprigs Thyme
- 1-2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 medium Onions, Peeled and Sliced
- 2 cloves Garlic, Sliced
- ½ cup Maple Syrup
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme Leaves
- 2 L Water
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Toss the squash with the thyme sprigs, ½ the olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Spread the squash out in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Roast the squash on 400°F for 40 minutes, flipping the squash after 20 minutes.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat.
- Add in the remaining oil, and the butter along with the onion.
- Cook the onions for 6 minutes then add in the garlic, cooking for another 2 minutes.
- Add the maple syrup into the pot and cook for 1 minute.
- Remove the thyme sprigs from the roasted squash and discard.
- Add the squash into the pot along with enough water to cover it by 1 inch.
- Bring to a boil.
- Add in the thyme leaves, and season with salt and pepper.
- Simmer the soup for 10 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Purée the soup using a stick blender.
- Serve with a drizzle of cream, cracked pepper, and thyme leaves.
Split Pea and Ham Soup
Split Pea and Ham Soup is the ultimate cold-weather comfort food. It's hearty, warming, and incredibly straightforward to make. You start by cooking onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil for about 10 minutes, then add the ham and garlic. Cayenne pepper and thyme go in with the dried split peas, and then everything gets covered with chicken stock or water.
After 20 to 30 minutes of simmering, the peas break down into a thick, creamy base that coats the ham and vegetables. Serve this with buttered bread and you've got yourself a proper autumn meal. This is the kind of simple, no-fuss cooking I love, and it's one of the simple food recipes that I come back to again and again.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Diced Ham
- 2 cup Diced Onion
- 1 cup Diced Carrot
- 1 cup Diced Celery
- 2 teaspoon Fresh Thyme Leaves
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper or to taste
- 2 cloves Garlic, Chopped
- 1 cup Dried Split Peas
- Salt & Pepper To taste
- 2 L Chicken Stock or Water
- 1-2 tablespoon Olive Oil
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the olive oil along with the onion, carrot, and celery and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Add the ham and garlic into the mixture and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add in the cayenne and thyme along with the split peas cooking for 3 minutes.
- Finally, add in the stock or water.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the peas are tender.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with buttered bread.
These three soups are my go-to recipes every autumn, and I genuinely look forward to making them as soon as the weather turns. I hope they bring as much warmth to your kitchen as they do to mine.
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