I know some of you live in colder-climate places and you’re probably making fun of us southerners for being excited about temperatures below 60ºF. But whatever. We will wear our scarves proudly.
The weather finally started changing this week! The air has a little chill in it. Sweaters and boots are FINALLY warranted. Leaves are finally dropping. I can walk outside in the middle of the day and not automatically start sweating.
Bring on the soup.
It’s weather like this that makes, well, basically obligates you to make one of your favorite fall soups. And this soup is a perfect fall meal.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s equally delicious anytime of year. But when those temperatures drop in the fall and winter, you just need something to warm you up from the inside out.
The tofu croutons, or “tofu-tons” if you will, are so crispy and flavorful. You won’t even care that you’re not eating real bread, and you get an extra protein power-up too. (Stop trying to make “tofu-tons” happen…it’s not going to happen!)
Here’s the flavor tour.
This is a super balanced fall (or winter) choice. Sweetness from the butternut squash, apple and the slightly caramelized onions. Earthiness from the acorn squash. The soup is blended to be silky smooth. The tofu croutons are crispy. Plant based protein from the tofu and veggie goodness from the soup.
The Instant Pot is stupid fast.
Major shout out to the Instant Pot for helping this meal come together in about 30 minutes and saving me on dishes. Thanks to the sauté feature of the Instant Pot, you can brown the onions and sauté the garlic right in the same pot before throwing the rest of the ingredients in to cook. It’s a true one-pot meal, no extra skillet required. The pressure-cooking feature of the Instant Pot allows the soup to cook through and have that slow-cooked-all-day taste in a quick 10 minute pressure-cook session. It speaks my efficiency love language.
Make it better than Panera.
It reminiscent of the Panera autumn squash soup, but (dare I say) even better. I love that soup, but I always find it a bit too sweet with the added honey. This to me is perfectly sweet and savory. And it’s vegan. And Whole30 approved (if you leave out the tofu croutons). Wins all around.
Pair it with a salad to be ultra-healthy, bake some fresh homemade bread if you’re looking for ultimate comfort food, or devour it as is with any of the toppings listed below. Pour yourself a steaming bowl of soup, cuddle up in your comfiest attire + fuzziest socks, wrap yourself in a blanket and enjoy!
[cooked-recipe id=”2450″]
