Comforting Autumn Recipes

Autumn is here in all of its richly spiced and cosy glory! And what could be a better way to celebrate the season than by cooking something beautifully autumnal with seasonal ingredients and all the flavours you love?

We’re here to share a few of our favourite recipes to help you get into the autumnal spirit.

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

Creamy, comforting, and delicious. Pumpkins are abundant over autumn thanks to their association with Halloween, so this is a perfect recipe and a staple of the season.

Ingredients: Olive Oil / White Onions / Pumpkin / Vegetable Stock / Double Cream

Method:

Chop your onions into fine chunks and cook until softened in a saucepan with olive oil until soft and translucent.
Add approximately 1kg of chopped pumpkin to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes until your pumpkin chunks begin to soften and turn a delicious golden colour.
Once soft and golden, add 700ml of vegetable stock to the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil and then simmer until your pumpkin is super soft.
Add 150ml of double cream to the pan and bring the soup to the boil again.
Puree the mixture with a hand blender for a beautiful, velvety consistency.
Serve with a sprinkle of croutons and pumpkin seeds.

Top Tip: If you want your soup to be extra warm with spice, add some ginger, chilli, cinnamon, and nutmeg as you add the vegetable stock.

Pork Chops and Charred Apples in Bourbon

Pork and apple are a tried and tested flavour combination that is much-loved, but we’ve upped the ante by cooking the apple slices in rich and smoky bourbon.

Ingredients: Pork Chops / Garlic / Rosemary / Apples / Bourbon

Method:

Season your pork chops with salt and pepper and fry them in a large griddle pan on high heat. There’s no need for any oil as the natural fat from the pork replaces this.
Fry on each side until golden, and the fat has rendered.
While the pork cooks, peel and chop the garlic and remove the rosemary from the stalks. Chop your apples into thin slices.
Take your chops from the pan and drain most of the fat. Add the garlic to the remaining fat and cook until golden, then add the rosemary and apple slices.
Cook until the apple starts to char, and then place your pork back into the pan.
Pour over your bourbon and then set it alight with a match.
Once the flames have died down, serve your pork chops with a side dish of your choice.

Top Tip: We love serving our pork chops with mashed potato seasoned with nutmeg to complement the lingering taste of the bourbon.

Chicken and Mushroom Pot Pie

This pie pairs perfectly with mashed potatoes and is simple to make and perfect for those cooler evenings over autumn.

Ingredients: Chicken (thigh or breast) / Bacon / White Onion / Mushrooms / Thyme / Plain Flour / Chicken Stock / Milk / Puff Pastry

Method:

Cut your chicken into chunks and fry in a frying pan until golden brown.
Pop the chicken into a bowl, chop your bacon, and add to the same pan. Fry until deliciously crisp with chopped onion, mushrooms, and fresh thyme. Add a tablespoon or two of flour once the onions have started to colour, and stir for one minute.
Remove the pan from the heat and gently whisk your chicken stock and milk. Add the chicken back to the pan.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes.
Spoon the mixture into your pie dish and leave it to cool.

6. While the oven pre-heats at 220C, roll out your puff pastry until it’s the thickness of two £1 coins thick.
7. Drape the pastry over your pie dish and filling, and trim any excess. Give the pastry a wash with a bit of milk.
8. Bake until the pastry has risen and turned a dark golden, like autumn leaves.

Top Tip: This recipe is easy to adapt based on the size of your pie dish and how many people you’re serving. We recommend two chicken thighs or one chicken breast per person as a rough guide.

For more tasty inspirations, browse our full Cooking & Dining collection and the articles below.