My Recipe For the Ultimate Fall Soup

If there’s one thing about me, it’s that I love soup. Any and all kinds of soup will be my favorite food until the day I die. As we all know, fall is soup season, so I’m going to share my recipe for my very favorite, comforting fall soup with you! One of my personal favorite qualities about this soup is that there are so many ways to customize it to your liking, especially to accommodate dietary restrictions, so I’ll share a couple of potential ways to do that. For reference, I usually make this soup in a big batch in a crockpot so I have plenty of leftovers, but you can definitely size it down as needed. Warning: seasonings are measured with the heart and the eyes. So is garlic.

Ingredients

• 1, 6oz can of tomato paste
• 32-64 oz (1-2 cartons) of chicken broth, depending on how much broth you like (sub: vegetable broth)
• ½ cup of dry cannellini beans (you can use any white beans you’d like; sub: 1 can)
• ½ cup of dry kidney beans (again, any kind of red bean works; sub: 1 can)
• 9 oz chopped kale (sub: spinach, or your favorite leafy green)
• 1 lb ground pork (lots of different protein options here! Ground chicken, turkey, or plant-based meat, shredded chicken or turkey, or even crumbled tofu)
• 1 tbsp butter (sub: plant-based butter or oil)
• 5+ cloves of minced garlic (measure this with your heart)
• 1 cup diced carrots (bonus fall-vibes if they’re multicolored!)
• 1 cup diced celery
• ½ diced white or sweet yellow onion
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour (sub: gluten-free flour)
• 1 cup brown rice (sub: your favorite kind of rice, grain, or noodle. I also love this soup with wild rice!)
• Seasonings: salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and anything else that brings your heart joy!

Instructions

1. Set your crock pot to high (or, put your large pot on low-medium heat) and add your tomato paste. Add about 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, and 1 tbsp paprika. Slowly pour in one carton of broth, about half a cup at a time, whisking in between. Once combined, raise the heat to medium-high and leave it to simmer. 
2. Add all the kale and the beans into the crock pot (or large pot). If you’re using canned beans, drain them and add them right in. If you’re preparing your own dry beans, prepare them according to package instructions ahead of time.
3. In a separate pot, prepare your protein (see the end of the instructions for how to prepare some different protein options!)
4. Once your protein is done, transfer it to the broth from Step 1 to simmer.
5. In the same pot you used for your protein, add the butter (or sub). Once melted/heated, at the garlic and cook until aromatic. Then, add your diced carrots, celery, and onions. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until onions are translucent and carrots/celery are fork tender, stirring occasionally. 
6. Add the flour of your choice to the pot and stir in to soak up all the liquid. Let this cook for about 3-5 more minutes. Then slowly add the second carton of broth, half a cup at a time, and stir until combined in between. 
7. Ladle the carrot/celery/onion broth into the crock pot or large pot. Allow all the ingredients to simmer together for at least 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
8. Bring the soup to a boil and add in your rice. Lower to a simmer, cook for 15 minutes, and enjoy!

Protein Instructions

Ground pork, chicken, or turkey, plant-based meat, or crumbled tofu:

1. Add a tablespoon of oil or butter to a separate pot on medium-high heat. Once warm/melted, add at least a clove of garlic and cook until fragrant.
2. While the pot and garlic are heating, add your protein to a bowl. If you’re using tofu, press it dry as much as possible and crumble it to your desired size at this point.
3. Season the protein to your liking. Use salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika for sure. I also like to add in some red pepper flakes and oregano, but you can add any of your favorites!
4. Add the protein to the pot and prepare however you’d like. Sometimes I like to shape it into mini balls, sometimes I like it crumbled. Make your soup your own!

Shredded chicken/turkey:

1. Marinate your raw protein in a separate bowl or bag. You can use breasts, thighs, or whatever you’d like.
2. Coat them evenly with at least a tablespoon of melted butter or oil. Season with your favorites–definitely salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. I also like to add in some lemon juice, thyme, and oregano.
3. Allow the protein to marinate while you put your pot on medium heat. Add a small amount of butter or oil to prevent sticking. Add a clove of garlic and heat until fragrant.
4. Add the protein to the pot and prepare until cooked through. Once finished, remove from the pot and allow to cool slightly before shredding to your desired size with two forks. 

Look at that! You have such a lovely-looking pot of soup in front of you now! Soup is such a great thing to make no matter what your cooking skill level is, and it’s super fun to do with a friend or two. Take advantage of soup season and make this recipe your own!

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