It's that time of year. Well...for us, it's always that time of year. You have a bunch of veggies in the fridge on the verge of going bad, so you have to take drastic measures and forge a soup from a dearth of disparate ingredients. Some folks loathe this; we  love it. It's the free jazz of cooking. Maybe. We don't really listen to free jazz, but it's what I imagine free jazz to be.

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This soup features the last of lots of fall veggies from both our garden and the farmer's market: eggplant, butternut squash, potatoes, onions, leeks, garlic, carrots, and green bell peppers. It's rich and savory--perfect for a warm fall day as much as a cold fall day.

Fall Everything Soup

  • 1 medium-sized white onion, diced
  • 1 medium-sized green bell pepper, diced
  • 2 smallish eggplants, cubed
  • 2 medium-sized potatoes, cubed (peel 'em if they're brown--we used purple)
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into half-disks
  • 1 very small purple cabbage or 1/3 of a regular purple cabbage
  • 3 large leeks (or a handful of small leeks--this is what we got from the farmer's market)
  • 1 regulation-size butternut squash
  • 1 head of garlic
  • 10 cups of veggie stock
  • 1 handful of fresh chives, diced
  • 6 fresh sage leaves (or 1 tbsp dried sage), diced
  • 1 tbsp herbs d'provence
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup of wild rice, cooked in 2 cups of water

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the butternut squash in half lengthwise and place on a lightly oiled cooking sheet. When the oven is done preheating, pop it in the oven and set the timer for 45 minutes. Sautee the onions, peppers, eggplant, carrots, and potatoes in oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the onions are soft, add in the veggie stock and the herbs. When this comes to a boil, cover and reduce heat, simmering.

Bring the rice and 2 cups of water to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer.

Slice off the top of  a head of garlic. Place on a sheet of aluminum foil, douse generously with olive oil, and wrap tightly. After the squash has been cooking for 15 minutes, pop this in the oven with the squash.

When the squash is done, remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Spoon out the seedy part. Spoon the rest into a blender, along with the garlic (you should spoon out each clove with a knife). Add in enough stock to blend easily and blend. Blend it up! When it's smooth, add it to the soup.

Stir everything well, and add salt and pepper to taste. You're almost done. You just need the rice. Once it's done, add it to the soup and cook for an additional 10 -15 minutes.

You're done! Huzzah!

Serve with a crusty loaf.