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Three Perfect Fall Soup and Salad Combinations

November 6, 2019 by fourseasonsofautumn No Comments
I LOVE a soup and salad combination. It’s the ultimate comfort meal for me – flavorful enough to satisfy yet light enough to maintain energy. Soup is my favorite thing to make, too! I had some much fun coming up with these Three Perfect Fall Soup and Salad Combinations! They’re a little bit hearty, a little bit healthy, and a whole lot of yum!
Soup and Salad combinations are perfect for lunch, dinner, and can almost always be made ahead time. Often times, I’ll freeze whatever leftover soup I have in single serving plastic baggies. It makes for a great grab and go lunch when I don’t have anything prepared.
Three Perfect Fall Soup and Salad Combinations

Creamy Sausage and Kale Soup with A Fall Harvest Salad

Who doesn’t love Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana Soup? Here is a version of that soup without the potatoes and fewer other ingredients. I didn’t want the soup to be overly heavy, so I omitted some of the things you’ll find in the Olive Garden version. I think it’s just as delicious and tastes even better with the fresh herbs and kale!
Creamy Sausage and Kale Soup
I love kale! I especially love it in soups because it holds up well and soaks up so many of the great flavors in the soup. It also makes for a great salad! Especially if you let the kale marinate in the dressing for awhile before serving. Letting the kale soak up flavors from the dressing is key in making a great kale salad!
Creamy Sausage and Kale Soup
Let’s talk Fall Harvest Salad – shall we? It’s one of my all-time favorite salads! If you add some chicken or salmon it would make a great meal, too! The bright colors from the roasted butternut squash and pomegranates are perfect! It’s fall in a dish and I can’t get enough of this meal right now!
A Fall Harvest Kale Salad
Creamy Sausage and Kale Soup

Creamy Sausage and Kale Soup

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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 45 mins

Ingredients
  

  • 6 slices bacon diced
  • 2 pounds bulk Italian sausage
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 8 cups stock
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 head kale de-stemmed and chopped
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions
 

  • Add the bacon to a large stockpan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot and drain off the fat.
  • Increase the heat to medium-high and add the sausage and cook until the sausage is brown and crisp, breaking it up as it cooks. Remove the sausage from the pot and drain the excess fat.
  • Add the olive oil to the pot along with the onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is transluscent. Add the garlic and cook abother 1-2 minutes. Add the sausage back to the pot along with the stock, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
  • Cover and reduce heat to medium-low for about 20 minutes. Add in the kale, then cover and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the kale is wilted and bright green.
  • Stir in the heavy cream, crushed red pepper flakes, bacon, and cook for about 5 minutes until warmed through, then taste for seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper if needed, and serve!
A Fall Harvest Kale Salad

Fall Harvest Kale Salad

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Prep Time 10 mins
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 5 cups of kale stems removed and diced
  • 1.5 cups of roasted butternut squash
  • 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds
  • ¾ cup cooked barley
  • Dijon Vinaigrette

Instructions
 

  • Combine all of the ingredients together and toss with the Dijon Vinaigrette about 15 minutes before serving. It will allow the kale to soften up slightly.

Notes

Dijon Vinaigrette

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup with a Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a classic! However, I like to add some fall flavors with butternut squash – and once again – some kale. Both ingredients help take this classic soup up a notch. Fresh herbs and just the right amount of seasonings really makes this soup a show stopper.
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Comfort on those cooler fall days leading up to winter – that’s exactly what this soup is for. And the use of a rotisserie chicken really helps cut down on the prep time. I LOVE using rotisserie chicken in soups. You get so much flavor from them and save TONS of time.
Now the salad….well…I don’t even feel right calling it salad because it’s seriously such a treat! The apples, cranberries, and creamy goat cheese combined with the shaved Brussels sprouts – simply AMAZING! Seriously so good! If you’re in need of a good Thanksgiving salad this would go great on your menu!
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups cooked shredded or chopped chicken breast I like to use a rotisserie chicken
  • 6 cups stock
  • 1 cup uncooked wild rice
  • 10 ounces mushrooms sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups cubed butternut squash
  • 2 ribs celery diced
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cups milk
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • 2 large handfuls of kale roughly chopped with thick stems removed
  • Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 tsp freshly chopped thyme
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat 1 tablespoon butter (or olive oil) in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and celery and sauté until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). Stir in the garlic, fresh thyme, and Italian seasoning and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
  • Add in the vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, carrots, bay leaf, a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
  • Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.
  • Meanwhile in a separate bowl whisk the flour, milk and heavy cream until combined. Gradually add the cream mixture to the soup and continually whisk until well combined. Also add in the butternut squash and kale at this time. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture nearly comes to a simmer and has thickened and the butternut squash is tender.
  • Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve or store in airtight containers. You could also freeze this soup once it has cooled.

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 5 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • ½ cup apples cut in matchsticks or diced
  • ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 2 ounces goat cheese crumbled
  • ¼ cup Dijon vinaigrette

Instructions
 

  • Rinse Brussels sprouts in a colander. Pat dry with a paper towel.
  • Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, hold onto the stem end of each sprout and carefully shave the Brussels sprouts into very thin slices, discarding the tough stem ends. Place sprouts into a large mixing bowl.
  • Toss in the cranberries, apples, and goat cheese.
  • Gently toss in the dressing right before serving.

Notes

I use my classic Dijon Vinaigrette in this salad. However you can substitute any of your favorite dressings with this. 

Austrian Pumpkin Soup with Roasted Delicata and Acorn Squash Salad

This soup my friends is a must try! I recently had pumpkin soup for the first time in Austria. It was sooo good I was begging the waitress there to share the restaurants recipe with me.
Austrian Pumpkin Soup
Key in making this Pumpkin Soup is fresh pumpkin and pumpkin seed oil! The oil is hard to find. I stocked up while in Austria but I also found a great oil on amazon. Definitely purchase some! It’s a truly unique flavor.
Austrian Pumpkin Soup
I’ve been using delicata squash a lot lately. It’s not overly large like other types of squash and it has great texture when roasted. I used a combination of delicata and acorn squash in this salad. The added bacon and Parmesan crisps created such a delicious combination! This salad pairs perfectly with the soup!
Austrian Pumpkin Soup

Austrian Pumpkin Soup

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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 medium pumpkin the small ones found near the squash in the produce section
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 clove garlic finely minced
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 cup good quality dry white wine
  • 1-2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • extra heavy cream pumpkin oil, and pumpkin seeds for garnish
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin seed oil or olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
  • Wash the pumpkin and cut it into half, leaving the skin on and scraping out the seeds and insides of the pumpkin. Sprinkle the inside with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  • Place the pumpkin slices flesh side down on the baking sheet.
  • Bake for about 25-35 minutes, or until the pumpkin flesh is soft and beginning to brown slightly around the edges.
  • When the pumpkin is almost done roasting, heat a large pot over medium-low heat and pumpkin seed oil.
  • Add the onion, sea salt and pepper and stir together, cooking until the mixture is fragrant and the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the white wine and continue cooking as the wine cooks off and at least half of the moisture evaporates.
  • When the pumpkin has finished roasting, scrape the pumpkin flesh out of the hardened skin and into the pot with the onion mixture.
  • Add the chicken broth slowly. You may not need all of the brother as it could make the soup too liquid-y, so only add what you need.
  • Stir the soup well and cover, cooking on medium-low heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly.
  • Turn off the heat and allow the soup to stop boiling. Add the heavy cream and puree with a hand blender on high speed until creamy and smooth (or transfer to a regular blender and puree on high speed).
  • Serve immediately with a drizzle of cream, pumpkin seed oil, and a few pumpkin seeds for garnish.

Roasted Delicata and Acorn Squash Salad

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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium acorn squash quartered lengthwise, seeded, cut into 1/3″ slices
  • 1 medium delicata squash halved lengthwise, seeded, cut into 1/3″ slices
  • 2 tbsp olive oil divided
  • sea salt &freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 6 cups of spring mix
  • 1/4 cup crumbled bacon
  • 8 parmesean cheese crisps

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place acorn squash slices on 1 tray and sliced delicata on the other. Toss each with olive oil, salt & pepper.
  • Place in oven and roast for 30 minutes; flip squash halfway through. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
  • Whisk vinegar, 1/4 cup oil, salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl – set aside.
  • Spread half of greens over a serving platter or on individual plates. then add half of acorn squash, delicata squash, bacon and parmesan cheese crisps. Drizzle with half of dressing; repeat with remaining ingredients and dressing. Toss lightly; serve immediately.
  • Note: to make parmesan cheese crisp – line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add about 8-10 1tbsp of shredded parmesan cheese about a ½ inch a part to the baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted together and browning.

Notes

Note: to make Parmesan cheese crisp – line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add about 8-10 1tbsp of shredded Parmesan cheese about a ½ inch a part to the baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted together and browning.

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