Fall Harvest Bisque — Cozy Dairy-Free Autumn Soup
It’s the last week of October and the cool weather is starting to sink in. Denver is finally cooling off, it’s been unseasonably warm but we have frost in the forecast for tonight. Fragrant rosemary, lemon scented geraniums and the fluorescent fuchsia pink blooms of my regular geranium still line the windowsills. And I’m bidding a sad goodbye to my basil, tomatoes and peppers, while saying hello to Fall Harvest Bisque and sweater weather.
Inside, pie pumpkin covered table and an overflowing box of winter squash await my attention. The farmer’s market here is almost over, in fact there’s only one more week left. Needless to say, I stocked up!
The hubby and the neighbor have both been laughing at the state of our fridge. Kale, beets, roasted green chilies, carrots, leeks, parsnips and a few other goodies spill out when the door opens. And I haven’t even really started playing with apples yet. Although the pears got turned into a delicious side dish with roasted turnips, and drizzled in fennel honey butter. So much to do, so little time to get it all done. I keep mentioning I need a clone but everyone seems to think the world wouldn’t be able to handle two of me.
I’m experimenting with seasonal fall dishes for impressing guests throughout the holiday season. Today is a fun one because it’s easy and uses so many yummy fall veggies. It’s also completely dairy and gluten-free, as well as vegan for my vegan and vegetarian friends. Of course for those who love dairy or are meat eaters, you can change it up by adding some Pecorino shavings or crumbled bacon for more depth.
Pumpkin, sweet potatoes, apples, leeks, parsnips, carrots and lots of flavor make up my Fall Harvest Bisque. You can also look at this bisque as a health booster for flu season because it’s LOADED with flu-fighting ingredients. Fresh ginger, shallots, garlic, thyme, sage and all those veggies are great for the immune system. And because this bisque is not like your traditional bisque, there’s no cream, so it’s low in fat. Another great point for holiday season where we get bombarded with all those wonderfully fat loaded dishes. You won’t miss the fat in this one since there’s plenty of flavor to keep the taste buds happy.
Other Delicious Harvest Soups to Try
I’m pretty serious about soups, so thought I would share a few more of the amazing soup recipes you can find here on the blog:
- Roasted Winter Squash Soup with Coconut Milk and Asian Flavors: One of our go-to favorites and easily vegan as well.
- Zucchini Soup with Peas and Mint: Okay, I know mint is more spring, but I still LOVE making this soup in the winter as well cause it’s so easy to make and done in less than 30 minutes.
- Caldo Verde Recipe (Portuguese Kale and Potato Soup with Chorizo): One of my top favorite Portuguese soups that is so simple to make. No cream. The creaminess comes from the potatoes.
- Sopa de Feijão Verde (Portuguese Green Bean Soup): Another vegan soup, this one uses greenbeans and is so freaking good.
Roasting the Veggies for Your Fall Harvest Bisque
This dish is really easy to make, I marked it moderate because of the need for roasting and making a stock, but don’t let that scare you off from making it. Cut the pumpkin in half, rake out the seeds into a large stock pot and pop into the oven on a baking sheet to roast with the sweet potatoes for about an hour or until soft at 350 degrees F while you peel and cut up the rest of the veggies. Add all the scraps to the large stock pot, fill with water and cook on the stove for about 30 minutes to make your stock. By the time the pumpkin and potatoes roast, you’ll be ready to cook up the bisque.
Btw, if you’re looking for something that isn’t soup, but still with fall flavors, try this beautiful Roasted Beet Salad with Butternut Squash, Feta, and Lime Dijon Vinaigrette.
I’d love to hear what you think of this lovely Fall Harvest Bisque (soup). Let me know in the comments along with any questions you may have.
Recommended Ingredients & Tools
Ingredients
- Good Quality Veggie Stock or Bouillon — I adore the heck out of the Better than Bouillon brand for flavor in soups like this one where there’s no cream hiding the flavors. The other option is to make a good veggie stock and use that. Either way, don’t skip, cause this is the base of your soup.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk — Since we’re going making this one vegan, I liked Almond milk the best since it didn’t add to much extra flavor to the dish. A touch that goes wonderfully, but doesn’t overpower the squash which we really want to stand out.
- Dry White Wine (cooking wine is fine) — Now I’m a person who usually cooks with what I drink, but you can also use a decent cooking wine to deglaze the pot and adds depth before the vegetables go in. Either way, cook the wine for a few minutes to burn off the alcohol and bring out the flavor from the grapes.
Tools
- Immersion Blender — I’m such a fan of my stick blender since I can stick it right in the pot and give it a whiz until the soup is smooth. No more burning myself by transferring batches of hot soup in and out of the blender. No muss, no fuss with this one.
- Large Stockpot or Dutch Oven — You want a pot that holds at least 10 cups when making soups and stews. And a good Dutch Oven is an investment worth making since it you can use it for both, and for baking bread or roasting meat.
- Rimmed Baking Sheet — You gotta have a good rimmed baking sheet for roasting veg. Otherwise, it’s hard to stir them without them falling off the pan or pulling them out of the oven. Fill the pan with other veggies for later in the week.
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FAQ Additions
- Is this bisque vegan? Yep. There’s no dairy or meat in the base recipe. Just skip the suggested optional garnishes like the Pecorino cheese, browned butter, or bacon.
- Can I use a different squash instead of pumpkin? Absolutely. Any winter squash will work and they all roast the same. Winter squash, depending on which one you use, can shift the flavor to either slightly sweeter or more earthy. But still roast it up the same.
- Can I freeze fall harvest bisque? Yes. It freezes well since it does not have dairy in it. Freeze in portion sizes and if you remember, pull it out of the freezer a day ahead. Then gently reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. If it’s still frozen, put in a pan on low, with just a touch of water in the bottom and stir throughout to prevent burning.
- What can I use instead of almond milk? Any unsweetened nut or oat milk can work. You can also use cow or goat milk if you prefer and don’t care if the soup is vegan.
- Is there a faster way to make this without roasting? Yes, you could do the recipe without roasting the pumpkin or sweet potatoes – like doing them in the microwave. BUT you won’t get the caramelized roasted flavor that really enhances the flavor of the soup. If you’re short on time, roast your veg ahead of time and then make your soup when you’re ready.
Fall Harvest Bisque — Cozy Dairy-Free Autumn Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups roasted pumpkin purée
- 2 large sweet potatoes roasted and peeled
- 2 large heirloom carrots diced (about 1 cup) — yellow or orange preferred, avoid purple so it doesn’t muddy the bisque’s color
- 1 lb parsnips peeled and diced
- 1 cup sliced leeks cleaned well
- 1 small shallot chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 large apple chopped (about 1 cup) — Honeycrisp recommended
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp fresh thyme finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh sage finely chopped
- ⅓ tsp white pepper
- ⅓ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
- Pinch ground cinnamon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 5-6 cups veggie stock
- 1 cup coconut milk or your favorite dairy-free milk
To finish:
- fried sage leaves · browned butter · Pecorino shavings · crispy bacon · toasted pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Don’t worry about chopping everything precisely — it all goes into a blender or food processor at the end.
- Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and cook until tender.
- Add the shallot, garlic, cumin, white pepper, crushed red pepper, and cinnamon. Cook until fragrant.
- Pour in the white wine and cook 3–4 minutes.
- Add the parsnips, carrots, apple, roasted pumpkin purée, and roasted sweet potato. Add the veggie stock and bring to a boil.
- Lower to medium heat and simmer about 45 minutes, until the stock reduces by almost half.
- Blend the bisque in batches or with an immersion blender until completely smooth — go a little longer than feels necessary for the creamiest texture.
- Return to the pot over medium heat. Stir in the fresh thyme, sage, ginger, and coconut milk. Heat through.
- Serve hot with crusty bread, garnished with fried sage, Pecorino shavings, crispy bacon, or toasted pumpkin seeds.