5 Soup and Stew Recipes for Autumn’s End

Soup season is here again, and we’ve turned to restaurants across Ohio, asking them to share a recipe for one of their favorite warming winter creations. Whether you’re looking to dig into a traditional Amish recipe that has been enjoyed for generations or try a Cleveland deli’s take on soup that highlights the bounty of Lake Erie, these dishes promise to bring some new flavors to your kitchen this season. 

Smoked Whitefish Soup with Rye Croutons
This hearty soup is Cleveland’s answer to seafood chowders, says Jeremy Umanksy, co-chef and co-owner of Larder Delicatassen and Bakery. This lake-centered dish features a light, smoky broth garnished with hunks of smoked whitefish, roasted garlic and potatoes, kale, sour cream and whitefish caviar.

The inspiration begins close to home, from the bounty of our Great Lakes. For Umansky, cooking with the lake’s ingredients is a way of drawing attention to a cuisine that is distinctly Ohio.

“As far as the quality and awesomeness as ingredients go, there’s no difference between what we get out of the lake and what we get out of oceans,” he says.

The deli uses raw whitefish from the Great Lakes, sourcing as close to Cleveland Harbor as possible, then smokes the fish in-house. This adds depth to the broth, alongside the mushrooms and sour cream.

“The majority of my diet could probably be summed up with fish and fungi,” Umansky says.

Since opening in 2018 in the former Ohio City Firehouse in Cleveland’s Hingetown neighborhood, Larder has built its menu around Jewish Eastern European cuisine, using Ohio-sourced ingredients. Umansky’s wife, Allie La Valle-Umansky, is the co-owner, pastry chef and baker, making pastries in-house. 

Diners will find the soup at the restaurant seasonally. Although it’s primarily a cold-weather dish, the restaurant has also adapted it into a chilled summer soup. The Larder philosophy is centered around method and technique, with a menu changing daily.

“We really are focused on putting modern sensibilities on historic cuisine,” Umansky says.

Smoked Whitefish Soup with Rye Croutons | Makes 4 servings
Recipe courtesy of Larder Delicatessen and Bakery

Soup Base
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces dried morel mushrooms
2 cups water
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for garnish
4 ounces whitefish caviar, for garnish
4 ounces arugula, for garnish
Freshly chopped chives, for garnish
Freshly chopped dill, for garnish
4, 2-ounce pieces of smoked whitefish
4 tablespoons fresh grated horseradish

Rye Croutons
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons white miso
2 tablespoons butter
2 slices dark rye bread or pumpernickel
1 garlic clove

DIRECTIONS
Add the morels to the 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Remove the morels, rough chop and reserve. Season to taste with salt and reserve the water for the soup. 

In a heavy pot over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add garlic, the roughly chopped morels and cook until fragrant (about 3–5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. 

In the same heavy pot over medium heat add the morel water and then simmer (about 10 minutes). You may need to add another cup of water. 

While the soup simmers, heat a skillet over medium low heat to make the rye croutons. Add the 2 tablespoons of butter and miso and gently whisk to melt the butter and break up the miso. Add the dark rye bread and toast on each side. After the bread is toasted, gently rub it with the raw garlic clove and then cut into crouton sized pieces. Reserve. 

Gently heat the fish in the soup, doing your best to keep it intact. Remove the fish from the soup and put them into four bowls. Add even amounts of arugula, chives and dill to each bowl and then pour the soup over the fish. 

Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a dollop of caviar. Top with the croutons and horseradish.

Chef’s Tip: Be delicate when simmering the broth and working with the fish. Simmer at 180 F to prevent the soup from becoming too concentrated.

***

Butternut Squash Bisque with Candied Pumpkin Seeds and Marshmallow Cream
Combining sweet and savory, executive chef Bret Andreasen brings this soup back to the menu every Thanksgiving. The creamy butternut squash bisque topped with a swirl of marshmallow cream and candied pepitas is a favorite amongst guests at Tarragon at the Inn at Honey Run. 

“Soup is actually one of my favorite things to cook,” Andreasen says. “I really enjoy the process of cooking it and, of course, the process of eating it as well.”

Although the soup includes several sweet components, Andreasen recommends serving it at the beginning of a meal, as it presents savory overall.

Andreasen developed the recipe in 2017, drawing inspiration from two places: the soups made by the chef he trained under (who often cooked them halfway sweet and halfway savory) and the classic Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole topped with toasted marshmallows. When Andreasen made the latter dish at home, he used butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes. 

Opened in 2012, Tarragon, located inside the Inn at Honey Run in Millersburg, focuses on authentic Alpine-inspired cuisines, pulling inspiration from the flavors of Austria, Germany, Italy and France. Andreasen has been the chef at Tarragon since 2013, creating the menu around scratch cooking and recipes developed in-house. One of the more unexpected ingredients is a small amount of soy sauce, which he adds at the end.

“The biggest thing in this soup and probably also the weirdest ingredient is the soy sauce in the end,” he says. “It’s something that completely changes its dynamic.” 

Butternut Squash Bisque with Candied Pumpkin Seeds and Marshmallow Cream | Makes 12 servings
Recipe courtesy of Tarragon at the Inn at Honey Run

Butternut Squash Soup
INGREDIENTS
54 ounces butternut squash, peeled and large diced
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
3 cups yellow onion, medium diced
5 ounces butter
4 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced by hand
2/3 cup white wine
5 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons soy sauce

DIRECTIONS
Prepare the marshmallow cream (recipe right) the night before and store in the fridge. The candied pumpkin seeds (recipe right) can also be made in advance.

Peel the butternut squash using a sharp knife. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to remove the seeds. Large dice the squash and toss with canola oil, salt, black pepper, thyme sprigs and vanilla extract.

Roast in an oven set at 400 F for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Every oven is different, but you will know it is done when the squash is fragrant and the edges begin to soften and are appear a roasted golden brown. 

In the meantime, sweat the onions in the butter until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add the white wine and reduce until the alcohol is cooked out. Add the butternut squash and the vegetable stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.

Puree in a blender until extremely smooth and add the cayenne pepper, maple syrup, soy sauce, heavy cream and remaining vanilla and mix thoroughly. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

When the soup is ready, put in bowls and use a serving spoon to drizzle the marshmallow cream gently over the top, so that it floats. Garnish with a small amount of candied pumpkin seeds.

Candied Pumpkin Seeds
INGREDIENTS
1 cup pepitas
1/4 cup sugar
1/16 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 egg white, beaten
1/2 teaspoon water

DIRECTIONS
Whisk the egg white and water vigorously until the egg white begins to foam. Add the pepitas and mix thoroughly to coat. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, cayenne and salt together.

Add the dry mix to the pepitas and mix well to evenly distribute. 

Bake in the oven set at 325 F for approximately 12 minutes. The egg white and sugar mixture will have hardened and the pepitas will sound hollow.  

Mix them well when they are done to break them up. When they become cool enough to handle, mix again to break up into individual pepitas. Skipping this step will cause them to stick to each other.

Marshmallow Cream
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 marshmallows
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Heat the cream until it is just about to boil and whisk in the remaining ingredients. Continue to whisk until the marshmallows are completely melted. Chill before using.

Chef’s Tip: Roast the butternut squash until soft and brown around the edges and caramelized to pull out its sweetness. Sweat the onions completely to eliminate raw onion flavor.

***

Greens at Fort Mason Zuni Stew
As a young cook, Liz Valenti, executive chef and co-owner of Wheat Penny Oven and Bar in Dayton, moved to San Francisco to attend the California Culinary Academy in 1982. She interned at the entirely vegetarian and landmark Greens Restaurant at Fort Mason Center, which opened in 1979 and is still thriving today. It was there she was first introduced to the vegetable-forward Zuni stew.

“It’s truly one of the best dishes I’ve ever had in my life,” she says. 

The hearty, chile-rich stew is loaded with beans, sweet corn, winter squash and tomatoes for a deeply savory dish and harvest in a bowl to celebrate the season’s bounty, Valenti says. The dish was originally created by Deborah Madison, Greens Restaurant’s founding chef.

“This dish really opened my eyes to how vegetarian food can be as inspired and as substantial as meat based,” Valenti says.

The dish name, Zuni, refers to a Pueblo tribe residing primarily along the Zuni River in New Mexico, whose diet relies heavily on the Three Sisters crops of corns, beans and squash.

Wheat Penny Oven and Bar opened in 2013 on the outskirts of Dayton’s Oregon District. The rustic-chic bar and eatery focuses on California-style pizzas, Italian fare, craft cocktails and more. Valenti brings the stew back on the menu every fall as a special. 

“This dish, for me,” she says, “really means fall is here and let’s take advantage of the local bounty that we have in Ohio.”

Greens at Fort Mason Zuni Stew | Makes 12 servings
Recipe courtesy of Wheat Penny Oven and Bar

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large yellow onions, medium dice
2 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons ground New Mexico chile or ancho chile powder (purchase at a specialty store or online)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 chipotle in adobo, minced, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 28-ounce can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
6 cups vegetable stock
3 cups cooked pinto beans, drained
2 cups cooked black beans, drained
3 cups corn kernels, preferably roasted
1 4-ounce can roasted green chiles
1 tablespoon brown sugar or sorghum
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus more to finish
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS
Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add onions, poblano and red pepper with a generous pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat until soft and beginning to caramelize (8–10 minutes). 

Add garlic, chile powder, cumin, coriander, oregano and chipotle. Cook 1–2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant. 

Add squash, sweet potato, tomatoes, vegetable stock, green chiles and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are nearly tender.

Stir in pinto beans, black beans and roasted corn. Simmer for another 15–20 minutes. The squash should begin breaking down and naturally thicken the broth. 

Add lime juice and cilantro. Season assertively with salt and black pepper. Adjust with more lime or chile as needed. The finished stew should be thick, rustic and spoonable — not soupy.

Chef’s Tip: Due to the substantial knife work involved in the recipe, start the preparation of ingredients the day before.

Make it the Wheat Penny Way: Wheat Penny Oven and Bar goes beyond what is in this recipe, topping each bowl with lime crema, crumbled queso fresco or Cotija, sliced scallions, cilantro and crispy tortilla strips. For even more flavor, try adding a spoonful of roasted poblano salsa or salsa macha.

***

Chicken Curry Soup
Inspired by his husband’s love of a classic Indian chicken curry, Kevin Lowry, chef de cuisine at Kindred Spirits in the Hocking Hills, shares his take on the South Asian dish: a creamy chicken curry soup served over rice. 

“The chicken curry has become a favorite of our guests and our staff,” he says.

The soup base is made with the traditional Indian and eastern culinary flavors of ginger, garlic and onion. Lowry compares the combination to the mirepoix in French cooking or the Holy Trinity in Louisiana cooking, ingredients that build a flavorful base.

The process started with the curry flavors and testing out what liquids need to be added to turn it into a cohesive soup. Since curry is traditionally served over rice, he wanted to incorporate that in the final dish. Lowry first created this soup in 2024, though he did not have it written down until sharing it with Ohio Magazine. 

“One thing I enjoy about cooking is the creativity and flexibility of it,” he says. “Soups come naturally to me, so I have a whole wide range of soups that I will make off the spur of how I am feeling that day.”

Opened in 1987, Kindred Spirits at the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls in Logan serves Appalachian-inspired cuisine with an elevated twist. Lowry has been part of the culinary team since 2023 and chef de cuisine since January. The restaurant offers seasonal soup, along with a secondary soup that rotates weekly. Diners will find this chicken curry soup on the menu every six to eight weeks.

Chicken Curry Soup | Makes 8 servings
Recipe courtesy of Kindred Spirits

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 red onion, small diced
2 tablespoons ginger, minced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
4 whole bay leaves
5 pounds chicken breast, cubed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken soup base (Better Than Bouillon brand preferred)
4 cups water
4 cups sour cream
6 cups heavy cream
4 cups, cooked basmati or white rice

DIRECTIONS
In a large soup pot on low to medium heat, pour in oil, then add onion, garlic, ginger and bay leaf. Cook until soft and fragrant. 

In the meantime, in a separate bowl, mix the chicken and remaining spices so that the chicken is well coated with the spice mixture. 

Once onions, garlic and ginger are soft and fragrant, increase to a medium-high heat and add the chicken. 

While the chicken is browning, in a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream and heavy cream until fully combined and smooth. 

Once the chicken is brown, add tomato paste and chicken base and stir until it is fully coating the chicken, then cook for 5–10 minutes. 

Add in the water and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and add in the sour cream and heavy cream and stir until it is fully incorporated and bring to a simmer. Allow the soup to simmer for about 20–30 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender. 

Serve the soup over the cooked rice.

***

Amish Ham and Bean
This traditional soup served in local Amish households is a generations-old, hearty winter meal, according to Amanda Yoder, kitchen manager at Der Dutchman Walnut Creek.

The soup reflects the practical nature of Amish cooking, where simple and inexpensive ingredients are transformed into filling meals for families and gatherings — and this Amish ham and bean soup is one Yoder serves in her own home as a member of the Amish community. The beans provide a hearty base, while the ham adds a savory richness, providing an easy and quick meal.

“When times were tough in the Depression ages, beans were cheap and easy,” she says. “My mom can remember going to her grandma’s house and having ham and bean soup.”

The soup pairs with another traditional meal served in Amish churches: cold bologna ham sandwiches with cheese, pickled red beets and pickled cucumbers.

The ingredients of salt and pepper really make the soup, Yoder says, balancing out the ham flavor. The soup holds well so it can be prepared, stored and reheated, and does not need to be made at the last minute. Pair the dish with cornbread muffins.

Der Dutchman Walnut Creek opened in 1969, serving traditional Amish food. Yoder has been with Dutchman Hospitality Group, the restaurant’s parent company, for 15 years. Der Dutchman Walnut Creek serves three homemade soups daily, alongside from-scratch cooking such as mashed potatoes, dressing, and chicken and beef gravy. Diners will find the ham and bean soup served the first full week of every month.

“It’s a very sought-after soup,” Yoder says. “We have customers asking for it all of the time.”

Traditional Amish Ham and Bean Soup | Makes 10–12 servings
Recipe courtesy of Dutchman Hospitality Group 

INGREDIENTS
2 cups ham, diced
3 cups navy beans, cooked and drained
5 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup butter
5 tablespoons flour

DIRECTIONS
Put the ham and beans in a kettle. Add water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. 

While the ham and beans come to a boil, melt butter in a small kettle and stir in flour until smooth. 

Once your soup is boiling, whisk in the butter and flour mixture, and stir until combined. Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened. 

Turn off heat. Taste for salt and pepper. Remove from heat and enjoy. This is good served with cornbread. 

Chef’s Tip: Ensure the kettle is hot before adding the butter and flour roux. If it is not, the roux may thicken and stick to the bottom.

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