It’s Fall, and that means soup is officially on the menu! Stop by one of the Houston area’s farmers markets and pick up what you need to make a fresh and steaming bowl of nutritious comfort food.
The Houston Farmers Market is the most accessible of the area’s farmers markets, open daily from 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. It’s closed only on Christmas Day and New Years Day! Merchant hours vary, so if you want to visit a specific vendor it’s always a good idea to call ahead to check that company’s hours of operation. The 18-acre market is located at 2520 Airline Drive in Houston.
Another great choice: The Urban Harvest Farmers Market, which is one of the state’s largest farmers markets. This market features 100 local vendors every Saturday year-round from 8 a.m. to noon at 2752 Buffalo Speedway in Houston.
There also are a number of other awesome farmers markets in the Houston area. Whether you’re looking for fresh produce, a food truck or locally produced baked goods and other foods, you’ll find a variety of venues that are open weekly or daily, either seasonally or year-round. It’s a win-win: You’re supporting local farmers and you get fresh food.
Before you plan your trip to a local farmers market, check out our list of soup recipes below to see what fresh produce you may want to add to your farmers market shopping list. These four soups taste delicious when you use fresh ingredients!
Chicken Vegetable Soup
Here’s a tasty recipe that makes enough for you to share with family and friends and/or have plenty left over for lunches or a freezer meal later on in the season. It’s a great way to showcase fresh vegetables, and by using a rotisserie chicken, it’s easy and quick to put together.
Hearty Vegetable Soup
Mmmmm! This nutritious soup is easy to make and so delicious. It’s an awesome way to use fresh vegetables brimming with flavor. This recipe is also easily adaptable based on your preferences. Add in some beef or chicken or vary the types of vegetables and you can make it your own. It’s a great way to enjoy a nutrient-rich and delicious warm meal on a cold day or night.
French Onion Soup
Buy some onions from the farmers market, grab your Instant Pot and make this flavorful soup. You’ll need dry white wine to create the thickener and 8 oz. of gruyere or Swiss cheese to sprinkle evenly across the top of the soup just before serving. This isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it type of recipe, but the Instant Pot definitely speeds up the cooking time with a total of 50 minutes from start to finish. Perfect for a special meal.
Roasted Cauliflower Soup
If you’re looking for a creamy soup option, give this one a go. The biggest surprise? This soup looks super creamy, but neither cream nor cheese is an ingredient. The texture comes from the butter. [Special diet note! It’s a gluten-free recipe as-is, but the chef included notes for a vegan/dairy free take on the existing recipe!] Sautéed onions and hints of nutmeg and lemon pair perfectly with the flavor of the oven-roasted cauliflower. You’ll need a blender for this one to get the right consistency. Don’t forget to get a topping for the soup. Green onions, parsley or chives are the chef’s recommendations.
Pesto Chicken Minestrone
If you’re a fan of 1) pesto and/or 2) a hearty soup, this recipe should be on your list to try next. You’ll start by roasting garlic in the oven to produce a paste for later on in the recipe. Meantime, you’ll cook the chicken in a Dutch oven or large pot with a parmesan rind (talk about flavorful!), shred it up, add in kidney beans, carrots, crushed red pepper, mashed garlic, kale and tortellini. Steam for a bit until kale and pasta are cooked, and voila! Dinner is served.
Feeling hungry yet? Give one of these recipes a try! Feel free to pass it on. And, as always, if you have any questions about the area – property management or otherwise – we’d love to help!
