3 must-try fall soup recipes

As the leaves change from green to warmer red and orange tones, the air gets cooler and the sweaters come out, many begin to crave filling, home-style meals. Personally, as soon as I feel a chill in the air, I am ready for soup. 

This steamy, warm meal is a fall staple, and, of course, there is a soup for everyone. Here are my top three soup recipes you must try during these fall and winter months. 

Alfredo Tortellini Soup

This recipe is definitely an all-time favorite. It takes my favorite guilty-pleasure dish — alfredo pasta — and turns it into a creamy soup. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 diced medium yellow onion
• A handful of baby carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup half-and-half or heavy whipping cream
• 9 ounces of cheese tortellini, frozen or fresh
• 2 cups freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
• (optional) 2 ounces fresh baby spinach
• (optional) 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions: 

Add the butter to a large pot and let it melt, and then add the onion and carrots and cook them until they are translucent, which should take about three minutes. Next, add the garlic. Then stir in the chicken, salt and pepper, cooking for a few minutes to get some color on it. Next, sprinkle the flour over the chicken and vegetables, and cook for two to three minutes. Then, add the chicken stock, half-and-half or heavy whipping cream and red pepper flakes, and cook until the soup thickens, which will take five to 10 minutes. After that, stir in the tortellini and cook for another five to ten minutes. When the tortellini is cooked, remove the pot from the heat and sprinkle in the parmesan cheese, and stir until it is melted. 

Optional: add a handful or two of spinach before serving. 

Classic Chili (the easy way!)

Cozying up on the couch with a warm bowl of chili while watching a rom-com I’ve seen 100 times is my favorite pastime. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound ground beef or turkey 
• 1 packet of chili seasoning (c’mon, just get the packet and do it the easy way. This is college)
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 can dark red chili beans
• 1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce 

Directions:

Dice your yellow onion and add it to a medium pot with some olive oil, and cook until translucent. Next, add your ground beef and cook until it is browned, and then stir in the chili seasoning. Once it is combined, pour in the tomato sauce and red beans. 

My favorite toppings: shredded cheese, saltine crackers and a spoonful of brown sugar (trust me!).

Tomato soup (without a blender)

There is nothing like a classic tomato soup and grilled cheese combo on a rainy fall afternoon. This recipe is easier to make because it can be created without any type of blender. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium, diced yellow onion
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 14-ounce cans of diced tomatoes
• 2 ½ cups water
• Salt and pepper

Directions: 

Heat olive oil in a medium pot and stir in the diced yellow onion. Once the onion is translucent, add garlic and then the cans of diced tomatoes and water. Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for one hour. Once the flavors are cooked together, take a potato masher or a similar item and mash the tomatoes to make the soup smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy! 

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