Fall equinox is upon us, and soon the air will turn crisp, the leaves will start to change beautiful colors, and you’ll crave something warm, hearty and comforting to warm your bones.
Below, we’ve listed five delicious soup and stew recipes that are perfect for the autumn months. Using indigenous ingredients such as beans, wild rice, hominy and more, these recipes are sure to be a hit. Make a big batch to share with friends and family or freeze leftovers for a cold, rainy day!
Creamy wild rice soup
Using wild rice from Red Lake Nation in Minnesota, this soup is creamy, delicious and satisfying. You will only need six ingredients and about 25 minutes to whip this up – just make sure you prep your wild rice beforehand to save time.
What you’ll need:
-2 cups Cooked wild rice
-¼ cup Chopped green onion
-¼ cup Flour
-3 cups Chicken broth
-½ cup Sherry
-1 cup Half and half
-1 tbsp Fresh chopped parsley
Instructions:
-In a heavy 3-quart saucepan, melt butter. Add green onion and stir in flour. Cook flour and butter mixture for two minutes but do not brown.
-Stir in chicken stock and sherry; bring to a boil.
-Add prepared wild rice.
-Reduce heat to a simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add half and half, parsley, and serve.
“Unstuffed” pepper soup
This soup is a unique twist on the classic stuffed bell pepper dish. You can sub any ground meat for the bison; we recommend ground turkey or lean beef in a pinch.
What you’ll need:
-3 cups Wild rice
-4 tbsp Seka Hills olive oil
-2 Green bell peppers, chopped
-1 Red bell pepper, chopped
-64 oz beef broth
-1 lb ground bison (or lean beef)
-1 clove of minced garlic
-1 Large can (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes (undrained)
-1 Can (14.5) oz petite diced tomatoes
-1 Generous pinch of Sakari Botanicals coarse salt, more to taste
-½ tsp Basil
-1 tsp Oregano
Instructions:
-Cook the rice according to package directions and set aside.
-Heat olive oil in large stock pot. Sautee the peppers, onion and garlic until translucent. Add the bison and brown.
-Place remaining ingredients in stock pot and simmer about 30-40 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add water and/or seasonings as desired.
“Any” Bean soup
This is probably the most customizable recipe on the list. We are big fans of Tepary beans, but you could use any white or brown bean that you prefer in this easy-to-make, savory soup. Keep in mind that using dry beans will require a longer cooking time, while canned beans will take less time. The recipe below reflects cooking times for dry beans.
What you’ll need:
-1 ½ cups washed dry beans (we recommend Ramona Farms Tepary beans)
-7 cups water
-1 medium yellow onion, chopped
-1 cup chopped turkey ham, pork ham or ham bone
-1 tsp Sakari Botanicals smoked salt
Instructions
-Place the beans and water until boiling; let boil for two minutes. Cover, remove from heat and let stand 1 hour. Add chopped onion. Bring to a boil and simmer 2 – 2 1/2 hours, until beans are tender.
-Add turkey, ham or ham bone and cook 1 hour longer. Add water as needed.
-Remove 1 cup of beans 15 minutes before the soup is done. Mash the beans and return to soup to thicken. Cook 15 minutes longer and serve.
Venison or Elk stew with hominy
This recipe is inspired by the book “The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen” by Sean Sherman. We have made adjustments using our favorite SweetGrass Trading Co. products. We recommend venison shoulder for this recipe, but shanks can be used as well if cooked a little longer. Serve this dish with hominy, over corn meal, or roasted squash.
What you’ll need:
-4 lb. venison or elk shoulder
-1 pinch Sakari Botanicals Cedar smoked salt
-1 pinch crushed juniper
-2 tbsp Seka Hills Extra Virgin olive oil
-2 wild onions or small shallots, diced
-1 lb. wild mushrooms (chanterelle, oyster, porcini or cremini) sliced
-¼ cup Ramona Farms corn flour
-3 cups corn stock or vegetable stock
-1 cup cider, hard or not sweet
-1 sprig of sage
-1-2 tbsp maple vinegar to taste
-1 dash Passamaquoddy Maple maple sugar
Instructions:
-Season all sides of the venison with salt and juniper. Film a cast-iron pot with oil and set over high heat. Add the venison and sear well on all sides until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
-Reduce the heat and add onions and mushrooms to the pot and cook, stirring until they brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in flour until dissolved, then stir in the stock, cider and sage and bring mixture to a boil.
-Reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook until the meat pulls away easily from bone, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Taste and season with the vinegar and sugar.
-Transfer venison to cutting board and remove the bone. Slice the meat into chunks and return to the pot. Discard the sage. Serve in shallow bowls over wild rice, corn cakes, hominy or roasted squash.
Black Bean and Yucca soup
Another recipe inspired by “The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen” by Sean Sherman, this soup contains no meat and requires only a few steps.
What you’ll need:
-1 tbsp Seka Hills Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-1 wild onion or leek, finely chopped
-1-2 fresh chili peppers, seeds removed and chopped
-2 cups peeled and diced yucca root
-1 cup soaked hominy
-6-8 cups corn stock or vegetable stock
-1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
-1 cup cooked black beans or canned beans, rinsed
-2 tbsp agave nectar to taste
-1 pinch Sakari Botanicals salt of your choosing, to taste
Instructions:
-In a deep, heavy stockpot, heat the oil over medium and add the onion, peppers and yucca. Cook, stirring constantly for about 5 to 8 minutes.
-Add the hominy, stock and oregano. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the yucca and hominy are tender.
-Stir in the black beans and season with agave nectar and smoked salt.