With the weather turning colder there is nothing better than eating some delicious soup to warm you up this fall and all winter long. Take away the chill of those autumn nights with these 3 great soups that are easy to make.

MUSHROOM POTATO CHOWDER

For the ultimate bowl of comfort food on a chilly night you must try this soup with mushrooms, potatoes, and thyme. So hearty and so creamy!

yield: 6 SERVINGS  

prep time: 15 Mins.   cook time: 30 Mins total time: 45 Mins.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 pounds assorted mushrooms, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 shallots, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 pounds small gold potatoes, quartered
• 3/4 cup half and half
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Add mushrooms and shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
4. Stir in chicken stock, thyme and bay leaves; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Stir in potatoes; cover and simmer until tender, about 10 additional minutes. Remove from heat; stir in half and half and parsley.
6. Serve immediately.

NOTES:

*Additional chicken stock can be used for white wine as a non-alcoholic substitute.

ROASTED PUMPKIN SOUP

This soup is creamy and healthy, and will be a welcomed addition to your table. If you wish you can substitute the pumpkin with butternut squash.

yield: 6 SERVINGS

prep time: 15 Mins. cook time: 1 Hour total time: 1 Hour 15 Mins.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (3-pound) sugar pumpkin, halved, seeded and quartered
• 2 red bell peppers, quartered
• 1 Granny Smith apple, quartered and seeded
• 6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 6 fresh sage leaves
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons pepitas

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
2. Place pumpkin, bell peppers, apple and thyme in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Gently toss to combine.
3. Place into oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until pumpkin is fork-tender, stirring at halftime; let cool, then remove skins.*
4. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in pumpkin, bell peppers, apple, vegetable stock and sage.
5. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5-10 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender. Stir in heavy cream; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more vegetable stock as needed until desired consistency is reached.
6. Serve immediately, garnished with pepitas, if desired.

NOTES:

*Baking time may need to be adjusted depending on the size of the pumpkin.

SLOW COOKER FRENCH ONION SOUP

Did you know that you can make French onion soup in a crockpot without babysitting the caramelized onions? You can! Let the crockpot do all of the work. All you have to do is add bread slices and cheese, then broil it until golden brown.

yield: 8 SERVINGS

prep time: 15 Mins. cook time: 10 Hours 5 Mins.

total time: 10 Hours 20 Mins.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 pounds sweet onions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups beef stock
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
• 1 (12-ounce) French baguette, sliced
• 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
• 1 cup shredded asiago cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place onions into a 6-qt slow cooker.
2. Stir in butter, brown sugar and 1 teaspoon salt; top with thyme and bay leaf. Cover and cook on high heat for 8-10 hours, or until onions are caramelized and browned.*
3. Stir in beef stock and sherry; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours, or until heated through. Remove and discard thyme and bay leaf.
4. Preheat oven to broil.
5. Place baguette slices onto a baking sheet. Place into oven and broil until golden brown on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side; set aside.
6. Divide soup into ramekins or ovenproof bowls. Place onto a baking sheet. Top with baguette slices to cover the surface of the soup completely; sprinkle with cheeses. Place into oven and broil until golden brown and cheeses have melted; about 2 minutes.
7. Serve immediately.

NOTES:

Stir halfway, as needed, to prevent burning.