Nothing says fall like a soothing and comforting bowl of soup. Here, famous chef Giada De Laurentiis shares her simple and savory recipes for shrimp and sausage cioppino, sweet potato and rosemary soup and more.
Recipe: Chicken, artichoke and cannellini bean spezzatino (on this page) Recipe: Shrimp and sausage cioppino (on this page) Recipe: Creamy sweet potato and rosemary soup (on this page)In a heavy 5- to 6-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until brown and crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta and set aside to drain on paper towels.
Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper to the pan and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, basil, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf. Add the chicken and press to submerge. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, turning the chicken over and stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
Add the artichokes and cannellini beans and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid has reduced slightly, 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the chicken to a cutting board and let cool for 5 minutes. Discard the skin and bones and cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Return the meat to the saucepan and simmer 5 minutes, or until warmed through. Discard the bay leaf. Season the spezzatino with salt and pepper, if needed.
To serve, ladle the spezzatino into bowls and garnish with the pancetta.
In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the fennel, garlic, shallots, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add the sausage and break into 1/2-inch pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the tomato paste, chicken broth and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover the pan and add the shrimp, beans, basil, and thyme. Simmer, uncovered, until the shrimp is pink and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Ladle the cioppino into soup bowls and serve with crusty bread.
Serving suggestion: Crusty sourdough bread
Yield: 4 servings, Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 25 minutes
In an 8-quart stockpot, melt the butter and oil together over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Add the sweet potatoes, rosemary and chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are very tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the rosemary stems. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese and maple syrup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat until ready to serve.
Cook's note: The soup can also be pureed by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings (8 cups), Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook time: 25 to 30 minutes
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