Soup Season Has Arrived in Dalavich

Autumn in Dalavich forest

Wet walks, warming bowls and the quiet comfort of something good simmering on the stove

There is something wonderfully comforting about coming home after a walk with Bella and Bracken through the ancient oak forest: peeling off the inevitable layers of wet clothing, attempting to dry two damp dogs who have very different ideas about the matter, and heading straight into the kitchen. A pot of soup goes on the hob and, if the weather has been particularly determined, a few cheese scones go into the oven too. Sometimes only additional carbohydrates will do.

I cannot choose one favourite soup. It feels rather like being asked to choose a favourite dog—and I am far too sensible to answer that question. I do, however, have a top three, in no particular order: butternut squash with aromatic spices, tomato and red pepper, and leek and potato. Yes, potato had to appear somewhere.

Soup is often treated as the opening act, but at this time of year I think it deserves top billing. With good bread or a savoury scone, a bowl of soup becomes a proper meal: warming, economical and wonderfully forgiving. It is also one of the best ways to make the most of an autumn glut, use the slightly weary vegetables at the bottom of the fridge and turn a modest handful of ingredients into something generous.

When the world feels a little too much

There are days when making a “proper dinner” feels beyond us—when the first winter cold is brewing, the weather has closed in or the day has simply taken more than it has given. This is when my ginger and miso chicken noodle soup comes into its own.

It was an almost permanent fixture on my winter menu when I worked as a private chef for a family in Essex. It is light enough when you do not have much appetite, but sustaining enough to feel properly looked after. The ginger brings warmth, the miso gives the broth wonderful savoury depth, and the noodles make it comforting without weighing it down.

That, for me, is the real magic of soup. It is not showy food. It simply meets you where you are.

Butternut Squash Soup with Aromatic Spices

Velvety, gently spiced and the colour of an autumn sunset.

Serves 6

Preparation: 15 minutes

Cooking: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash, about 1.2kg

• 2 tbsp Scottish rapeseed oil

• 1 large onion, roughly chopped

• 2 carrots, roughly chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 20g fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated

• 2 tsp Aromatic Curry Seasoning, or 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander and ¼ tsp ground turmeric

• A pinch of chilli flakes, optional

• 400ml vegetable or chicken stock

• 400ml coconut milk

• 1 tbsp lemon juice, plus more to taste

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve, optional: toasted pumpkin seeds, a swirl of coconut milk, chopped coriander or warm cheese scones

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas 6. Cut the squash in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Cut it into wedges, place on a roasting tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Roast for 30–35 minutes, until tender and beginning to caramelise at the edges. When cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the skin.

2. Meanwhile, warm the remaining oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and carrots with a small pinch of salt, then cook gently for 8–10 minutes until softened.

3. Add the garlic, ginger, aromatic spice blend and chilli flakes. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant.

4. Add the roasted squash and stock. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Add the coconut milk and blend until silky smooth.

6. Return the soup to a gentle heat, adding a little extra stock or water if it is thicker than you like.

7. Stir in the lemon juice, taste and season.

8. Serve with toasted pumpkin seeds, a swirl of coconut milk or something warm and cheesy on the side.

Meg’s note: Roasting gives the squash a deeper, sweeter flavour. Frozen squash works perfectly well too—good soup does not demand heroics.

To freeze: Cool completely, portion and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge or reheat gently from frozen, stirring frequently. Add a splash of stock or water if needed.

Ginger and Miso Chicken Noodle Soup

The bowl I turn to when comfort is required but cooking energy is in short supply.

Serves 4

Preparation: 15 minutes

Cooking: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Scottish rapeseed oil

• 3 shallots, finely chopped

• 25g fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated

• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated or crushed

• 1.2 litres good-quality chicken stock

• 2 tbsp white miso paste

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 300g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced

• 150g mushrooms, sliced

• 150g rice noodles

• 150g seasonal greens, such as kale, savoy cabbage or chard, finely shredded

• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

• Juice of ½ lime, or to taste

To serve, optional: sliced red chilli, coriander, a soft-boiled egg or spring onions

Method

1. Warm the rapeseed oil in a large saucepan. Add the shallots, ginger and garlic, and cook gently for 2 minutes. Do not allow the garlic to colour.

2. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer. In a small bowl, loosen the miso with a ladleful of the warm stock, then stir it back into the pan with the soy sauce.

3. Add the chicken and mushrooms. Simmer gently for 8–10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

4. Add the noodles and cook according to the packet instructions. Stir in the shredded greens for the final 2–3 minutes so that they soften but retain their colour.

5. Remove from the heat and add the sesame oil and lime juice. Taste before adding any extra seasoning, as both miso and soy sauce are salty.

6. Divide between warm bowls and scatter over the reserved spring onion tops and any additional garnishes.

Meg’s note: Miso is a living fermented ingredient, so I add it gently rather than boiling it fiercely. The soup will still be delicious if it bubbles, but gentler heat preserves its more delicate flavour.

Easy swap: Use leftover roast chicken and add it with the greens, just long enough to heat through. For a meat-free version, use vegetable stock and add cubes of firm tofu or a handful of edamame beans.

The shortcut soup cupboard

I am a great believer in cooking from scratch, but I am equally enthusiastic about making life easier. A shortcut is not cheating; it is simply an ingredient that has already done some of the work for you.

• Roast tomato soup: Roast a punnet of soft tomatoes with a drained jar of roasted red peppers, garlic and rapeseed oil. Blend with stock and a spoonful of mascarpone—or use two tins of tomatoes when fresh ones are no longer at their best.

  
  

• Fast leek and potato: Frozen sliced leeks save all the washing and chopping. Simmer with diced potatoes and stock, then blend all or half of the soup, depending on the texture you prefer.

  
  

• Nearly instant lentil soup: Combine a bag of frozen soup vegetables, a tin of green lentils, stock and a spoonful of Highland Seasoning. Simmer until tender and finish with a squeeze of lemon.

  
  

• Pea soup in ten minutes: Simmer frozen peas with stock and a few spring onions. Blend with mint, black pepper and a spoonful of crème fraîche.

  
  

• Emergency bean and tomato soup: Warm a jar of tomato pasta sauce with stock and a tin of cannellini beans. Add a handful of kale or spinach and finish with grated cheese or pesto.

Easy sides that turn soup into supper

• Cook frozen cheese scones while the soup reheats.

• Top thick slices of sourdough with mature Scottish cheddar and grill until bubbling.

• Slather garlic butter over warm flatbreads, then cut them into dipping strips.

• Make quick croûtons from yesterday’s bread with rapeseed oil and a pinch of Cajun, Aromatic Curry or Highland Seasoning.

• Add a simple apple and cabbage slaw alongside a creamy soup for crunch and freshness.

Cook what is growing—not what the calendar tells you

The autumn larder rarely changes neatly on the first of the month. One week there may still be tomatoes ripening on a windowsill; the next, the kitchen is full of squash, leeks and muddy potatoes.

Use what looks good where you are:

• Swap butternut squash for locally grown pumpkin, crown prince squash, carrots or swede.

• Replace imported spinach with finely shredded Scottish kale or savoy cabbage.

• Use Scottish rapeseed oil wherever a recipe calls for a neutral cooking oil.

• Stir leftover roast roots into lentil soup, or blend them with stock for an instant lunch.

• Add windfall apples to parsnip, celeriac or squash soup; their acidity lifts earthy vegetables beautifully.

• Save the rind from a piece of hard cheese and simmer it in a vegetable or bean soup for extra savoury depth. Remove it before serving.

• Ask local growers what they have too much of. Gluts are often the most delicious—and best-value—ingredients on the table.

One of my favourite autumn sights is a row of slightly mismatched bowls waiting beside a steaming pot. Soup has never required the best china or perfect table styling. It only asks that everyone moves along a little and somebody cuts the bread. Perhaps that is why it feels so generous: one more spoonful of stock can often make room for one more person.

From my kitchen: small things worth knowing

Build flavour at the beginning. Give onions, leeks and carrots time to soften gently before adding liquid. Those first ten minutes make an enormous difference.

Season in layers. Add a little salt when starting to soften the vegetables, taste again after adding the stock and make the final adjustment before serving. Stock, miso and cheese can all contribute salt of their own.

Acidity is often the missing ingredient. If a soup tastes flat, it may not need more salt. Try a squeeze of lemon, a dash of cider vinegar or a spoonful of yoghurt.

Texture matters. Blend only half of a chunky soup, add toasted seeds, crisp croûtons or shredded greens, or finish a smooth soup with a spoonful of relish or pesto.

Freeze the base, add the flourish later. Cream, fresh herbs, noodles and delicate greens are often best added when reheating. Freeze sturdy soup bases in useful portions and finish them differently each time.

A little help from Meg’s Scottish Kitchen

If the weather calls for soup but your day does not leave room to make it, there are comforting bowls waiting in our Heat & Eat range. They are freshly prepared in small batches, frozen to lock in their flavour and ready to heat when you need them.

Our baking mixes make an easy kitchen companion too. A batch of warm scones or cookies brings the scent of home baking without cupboards full of ingredients, while the Taste the Globe and Taste the Highlands seasoning collections make it simple to give vegetables, croûtons and one-pot suppers a little more character.

You can browse the latest Heat & Eat dishes, baking mixes, seasoning collections and my cookbooks on the Meg’s Scottish Kitchen website. Every order supports a small rural kitchen here in Dalavich—and allows me to keep filling pots, testing recipes and sharing them with you.

Browse the Heat & Eat menu

Pull up a chair

What is the soup that tastes most like home to you? Perhaps it is your grandmother’s Scotch broth, the tomato soup served after childhood walks, or something you discovered much later and made your own.

Share your bowl, your rain-soaked walk or your favourite soup-and-side combination on social media and tag Meg’s Scottish Kitchen. I would love to see what is warming your table. If you know somebody who needs a little edible comfort this week, send this newsletter their way—or better still, invite them to pull up a chair.

Until next time, keep warm and eat well.

Meg x

Meg’s Scottish Kitchen — Where the seasons shape the table.