Fall is arguably one of the most comforting times of year — when soup season is in full swing. All of a sudden, homes become filled with wafts of autumn aromatics, simmering stews, and a plethora of warmth.
A staple in the Coppel household during the cooler months is my Aunt Bert’s Chili. Well, she’s really my great great aunt Bert, and her recipe has been passed down to generations of Coppels for more than 100 years. My dad, Steve Coppel, has been making this very recipe for decades.
This hearty chili is packed with seasoned ground beef, kidney beans, tomatoes, and more, and it’s often what my family will make for football game days or Halloween parties.
I prefer my chili to be topped with loads of cheddar cheese, a sprinkle of cilantro, a handful of Fritos, a squeeze of lime, and a big ole’ dollop of sour cream. Cornbread on the side wouldn't hurt either.
Although I never met my great great aunt Bert, I feel like I have since I’ve been eating her chili ever since I can remember; I plan to pass this recipe down to my friends and family to continue its longevity.
Bob Scarlett, a member of the Way Library cookbook club in Perrysburg, said his favorite fall soup is a Potato and Leek Soup inspired by chef and restaurateur Emeril Lagasse.
“When the weather turns cold, I think people turn to the fall vegetables. And leeks are one,” said Scarlett, who is a resident of Maumee. “In fact, I think [this soup] is a comfort food.”
The cookbook club member said he especially enjoys making this soup because he can forage in his home garden for some of the ingredients — like fresh thyme and chives.
By making the chicken stock yourself, Scarlett advised that you can improve the quality of the soup, and take it to the “next level.”
“I really enjoy the Instant Pot to make my stock with because I think that it pulls more flavor out of the chicken bones and the chicken parts,” he added. “And using a little bit of vinegar with it makes an Instant Pot stock vastly superior to one that you could make with a regular pot.”
Scarlett said that the soup pairs especially well with apple cider, and of course bread — which is a natural companion to many soups.
“I enjoy sharing it with my family members,” he continued, adding that he has made the soup for his sister and mother-in-law.
Mary Langenderfer, a Toledo resident, also shared one of her beloved soup recipes, a Beef Barley Soup. This recipe utilizes leftovers from beef stew or pot roast, making the dish a great way to repurpose ingredients that you may not know what to do with.
“After you make a roast and you have leftovers and keep eating them and eating them and you get kind of tired of them,” she continued, “it’s nice to add the leftovers [like meat or vegetables] to some beef stock and barley.”
The soup starts with a classic mirepoix of carrots, onion, and celery that have been sweated down. After adding the garlic, canned tomatoes, beef stock, and barley, you’re nearly done. But the real star ingredient in this soup is the leftovers.
“If you’re using meat that’s already cooked, it's going to be nice and tender in the soup,” Langenderfer said. “And that’s one of the nicest things about it.”
She added that she’ll freeze any extra soup she has in small containers, making it a perfect make-ahead meal to have throughout the fall anytime you’re craving it.
It’s almost like the leftovers made leftovers, and what’s better than that?
Aunt Bert’s Chili
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Total Time: 4 ½ hours
Ingredients:
4 pounds ground beef
32 ounce can Italian pear tomatoes
16 ounce can tomatoes
46 ounce + 24 ounce cans of tomato juice
2 15 ounce cans red kidney beans
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 medium onions, diced
3 tablespoons chili powder
4 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Toppings:
Cheddar cheese
Cilantro
Fritos
Squeeze of lime
Sour cream
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
Brown the ground beef in a large Dutch oven, and drain the excess grease.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot, stir, and cover with a lid.
Bake covered for 3 to 4 hours.
When ready to serve, add your favorite chili toppings. I prefer cheddar cheese, cilantro, Fritos, a squeeze of lime, and sour cream.
Source: The Coppel family
Potato and Leek Soup
Yield: 4 to 6 servings (about 6 cups)
Total Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients:
1 large or 2 small leeks, about 1 pound
2 bay leaves
20 black peppercorns
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons butter
2 strips bacon, chopped
½ cup dry white wine
5 cups chicken stock
1 to 1 ¼ pounds russet potatoes, diced into 1-inch cubes
1 ½ teaspoons salt, plus more if needed
¾ teaspoon white pepper, plus more if needed
½ to ¾ cup creme fraiche or heavy cream
2 tablespoons snipped chives
Directions:
Trim the green portion of the leek and, using 2 of the largest and longest leaves, make a bouquet garni by folding the 2 leaves around the bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme. Tie into a package-shaped bundle with kitchen twine and set aside. (Alternatively, tie 2 leek leaves, the bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme together in a piece of cheesecloth.)
Using a sharp knife, halve the white part of the leek lengthwise and rinse well under cold running water to rid the leek of any sand. Slice thinly crosswise and set aside.
In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the bacon. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is very soft and has rendered most of its fat.
Add the chopped leeks and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the reserved bouquet garni, chicken stock, potatoes, salt, and white pepper, and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are falling apart and the soup is very flavorful.
Remove the bouquet garni and, working in batches, quickly puree the soup in a food processor or blender, letting it run for about 5 seconds. (Alternatively, if you own an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the pot.)
Stir in the creme fraiche and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve immediately, with some of the snipped chives sprinkled over the top of each bowl of soup.
Note: Bob Scarlett suggested serving this soup with a glass of apple cider and bread.
Source: Adapted from Emeril Lagasse , sent by Bob Scarlett
Beef Barley Soup
Yield: 6 servings
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
Leftovers from beef stew of pot roast (both meat and veggies)
1 cup quick pearled barley
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 ½ ounce can petite tomatoes
32 ounce package beef bouillon
2 teaspoons Beef Better Than Bouillon plus 2 cups water
Directions:
In a 4-quart pot, cook onion, carrot, and celery until tender. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and beef bouillon broth. Add the barley and cook directly in the pot. Bring this mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally. Add the precooked meat and leftover veggies.
Add salt and pepper to taste. If the soup gets too thick, add water or more beef broth to thin it out. Serve and enjoy!
Note: If you don’t have any pre-cooked meat leftovers, and still want to make the soup, you can prepare some flank steak or cubed chuck roast to add to the soup.
Source: Adapted from Mary Langenderfer
For recipe suggestions, contact Maddie Coppel at: mcoppel@theblade.com .
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