Cold hands, warm bowls

Having the luxury of four completely different seasons in Canada means that each is given its own culinary identity.

Think fresh greens for spring, frozen delights for summer, harvest fare in the fall and yummy roasts in winter.

It's no surprise then, that with fall's change­able weather, our cravings for salad, straw­berries and ice cream dip as quickly as the temperature. Instead, we're in the mood for warm and cozy, chunky and rustic, heart­warming and soul-satisfying.

The perfect mood, in fact, to enjoy a good-to-the-last-drop soup. Here, we've blended full-flavoured ingredients in well-rounded combinations to tempt the taste buds on a chilly day, and have you wishing for autumn all year-round.

Apple cheddar soup with sage croutons
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped (about 3 cups)
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped parsnip (about 2 parsnips)
• 1 cup chopped carrot (about 2 carrots)
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ tsp finely chopped sage
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups apple juice
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk, warmed
• 6 oz old cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 recipe sage croutons, see below

Preparation

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add next nine ingredients (apple through black pepper). Cook, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add water and apple juice; bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are very tender. Work­ing in batches, purée soup in
a blender until smooth. Return to pot and set aside.

In a separate saucepan, heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring con­stantly, for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and stir until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add grated cheese and stir until smooth.

Pour cheese sauce into soup and warm over low heat until hot; do not boil again. Serve garnished with sage croutons.

Sage croutons

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 sage leaves, finely chopped
• 2 cups focaccia bread cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat butter and oil in a small sauce-pan over medium heat until butter is frothy. Add sage leaves, stirring to combine. Pour over focaccia pieces in a bowl, tossing to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and toast in oven until croutons are crispy and golden, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Set aside until needed as garnish for soup.