3 Ultra-Healing Soups For Fall

At first glance the main ingredients in this recipe may seem like a totally random (and somewhat odd) combo, but it's actually a classic Ethiopian soup. It will have your taste buds rockin' and rollin' thanks to berbere, an Ethiopian spice mix.

Traditional berbere has about 13(!) spices; I shortened that down to a more manageable number of spices, but you'll still get that spicy-sweet-hot tension.

The sweet potato here is like the grand marshal of the parade, pulling all those spices and veggies into cohesion to provide a sensational experience.

Serves 6

Preparation

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat, then add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the bell pepper, garlic, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, paprika, and cayenne and sauté for 1 minute more. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and the peanut butter. Pour in ½ cup of the broth to deglaze the pot, stirring to loosen any bits stuck to the bottom, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.

2. Stir in the sweet potatoes, ½ teaspoon sea salt, and the remaining 5½ cups of broth. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.

If a soup could do push-ups, this one would. Nearly nuclear in terms of energy, there's hardly a vitamin or mineral out there that can't be found among the kale, chard, leek, fennel, and garlic.

The challenge here was making a green soup that tasted delicious. I think this one passes with flying colors.

Serves 6

Preparation

1. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt and sauté until the onion is golden, about 10 minutes. Add the leek and potato and sauté for 3 minutes more. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir for another 30 seconds.

2. Pour in ½ cup of the broth, stirring to loosen any bits stuck to the pot, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the chard, kale, and another ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir well to combine so the greens will wilt. Then add the remaining 5½ cups of broth and bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the greens are just tender.

Saffron is one of my favorite spices to cook with. Yes, it can be a bit costly, but you really need very little saffron to get a huge bang for your buck. Here it gives a luscious, exotic taste to the carrots, which are naturally sweet.

Saffron is also a visual delight; in this soup the saffron looks like monks' robes tossed against a vibrant orange background. Consider this dish a treat for all your senses.

Preparation

1. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in the carrots, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, saffron, and ¼ teaspoon salt and sauté until well-combined. Pour in ½ cup of the broth and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the remaining 5½ cups of broth and another ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Put the lemon zest in a blender and puree the soup in batches until very smooth, each time adding the cooking liquid first and then the carrot mixture. If need be, add additional broth to reach the desired thickness. Return the soup to the pot over low heat, stir in the lemon juice, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt, and gently reheat. Taste; you may want to add another squeeze of lemon, a pinch or two of salt, or a drizzle of maple syrup. Serve with chermoula or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Makes 1¼ cups

Normally, Moroccan chermoulas are used as a marinade with meat or fish. But a little tinkering yields an extraordinary drizzle that works mighty fine on top of a soup. Mint, parsley, cumin, paprika, olive oil, and lemon juice all combine to create a chermoula with some serious zing!

Preparation

This is my signature savory broth. Its creation was that wonderful moment when everything came together in the kitchen to create something truly healing. (I must have been channeling someone's grandmother!)

Literally thousands of people have spoken with me about the positive impact this broth has had on their lives. You'll be amazed at how revitalizing it is. With carrots, onions, leek, celery, potatoes, and more, it's a veritable veggie-palooza and can be used as a base for nearly all the soups in this book. In a bowl or sipped as a tea, it's the perfect cleansing broth.

Makes about 6 quarts

Preparation

1. Rinse all of the vegetables well, including the kombu. In a 12-quart or larger stockpot, combine the carrots, onions, leek, celery, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam, garlic, parsley, kombu, peppercorns, allspice berries, and bay leaves. Add the water, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for at least 2 hours, or until the full richness of the vegetables can be tasted. As the broth simmers, some of the water will evaporate; add more if the vegetables begin to peek out.