As trees gently release their leaves and pumpkins begin to sprout on your neighbors’ porches as if by magic, it can only mean one thing: It’s time to break out your Dutch oven and dive into comfort-food season!
From soups to stews to curries, harvest season is the best time to reach for seasonal veggies and rich spices. And since the Dutch oven is so forgiving, it’s easy to take your time, taste test, re-season as needed and modify recipes to fit your palate.
Check out our picks for the 10 best Dutch oven recipes you can try out this fall.
Roasted Sweet Potato Soup
You’ll find several autumnal soups among our best Dutch oven recipes and we’ll start with this one. Roasted Sweet Potato Soup from the blog A Classic Twist is so silky and creamy, you won’t believe it’s vegan, yet we promise it’s dairy-free!
Made with coconut milk, roasted sweet potatoes and nutritious broth, this veggie-forward soup is like a fall flannel for the soul. With spices like paprika, ginger and cayenne, this soup lets sweet potatoes shine in all their hearty, vitamin-rich glory. Find the full recipe online from A Classic Twist.
Bamiyeh (Stewed Okra with Tomato Sauce)
You may have never heard of bamiyeh before, but it is a traditional okra stew that is popular in the Middle East and it happens to be one of the absolute best Dutch oven recipes. Okra is also very popular in the American South, and fall is the perfect time to try okra if you never have before.
This harvest veggie is rich in magnesium, folate, antioxidants and vitamins A and C. The recipe for bamiyeh that we love comes from Omayah Cooks and it’s is made with tomatoes, garlic, beef and cilantro. One bite and you will understand why bamiyeh is ideal comfort food. Find the full recipe at Omayah Cooks.
Creamy Turkey Wild Rice Soup
Stirring once, stirring twice, stirring turkey soup with rice! We love soup with rice, because it gives the soup a more substantial feel and makes it a sufficient meal, with no bread or sides required. This recipe for Creamy Turkey Wild Rice Soup comes from Divas Can Cook and easily ranks among the best Dutch oven recipes in our humble opinion.
This one can be cooked with turkey (like Thanksgiving leftovers) or chicken (you can even buy a rotisserie chicken from the store and tear it up to save time). Made with chicken broth, garlic, wild rice and fresh rosemary, this is a Dutch oven soup recipe that takes just 30 minutes to prep … and 30 seconds to slurp down! Find the full recipe at Divas Can Cook.
Classic Bolognese
Bolognese sauces and Dutch ovens go together like witches and black cats. Can you imagine a witch rolling around with a white cat on the back of her broom? It’s like picturing a Bolognese simmering in a stainless steel pot. EEK!
This Italian staple may be one of those recipes that sounds daunting to the uninitiated, but once you get it started, it just comes down to gently simmering and stirring for a few hours in your Dutch oven. And, when it comes to Bolognese sauces, Italian chef Marcella Hazan is untouchable. Check out her full recipe here.
Creamy Mushroom Soup
When it comes to fall produce, it seems like sweet potatoes and butternut squash get all the love. But hear us out: Mushrooms are the unsung hero of the autumn season, and they deserve a starring role on your harvest table. That is why we’ve included this take on Creamy Mushroom Soup from The Last Food Blog among our best Dutch oven recipes.
Made with double cream, veggie stock, nutmeg and chestnut mushrooms, this soup is excellent on its own, but when you pair it with homemade thyme, parmesan and garlic croutons, you have officially become a friend to the fungi! (Trust us, it’s worth the effort to make the croutons!). Find the recipe for both right here at The Last Food Blog.
Mediterranean Roast Lamb
Did you know you can cook a leg of lamb inside your Dutch oven? Whether you’re trying to wow your in-laws or simply bring some haute cuisine to the dinner table on a regular Tuesday night, this recipe for Mediterranean Roast Lamb from Cosette’s Kitchen is for you.
Cooking lamb might sound intimidating but we promise, all you need is a Dutch oven and a few hours of passive cooking time (meaning your Dutch oven will be doing all the work like a slow cooker, while you get to focus on other things). Find the full recipe for Mediterranean Roast Lamb at Cosette’s Kitchen.
Vegan Lentil Curry
Wake up and smell the lentils. This humble, nutrient-packed grain is so versatile and pairs so seamlessly with root veggies that it should be a fall dinner staple. We adore this recipe for Vegan Lentil Curry from the blog Foxes Love Lemons, which brings together carrots, lentils and coconut milk.
This recipe defies the stereotype of mushy lentils in a flavorless broth thanks to bright, snappy ingredients with fearless flavors like ginger, curry, mint and pomegranate seeds. This curry is perfect for lunch at the office or while curled up on the couch watching scary movies. Find the full recipe here at Foxes Love Lemons.
Matzo Ball Soup
A chicken soup without matzo balls is like a jack-o’-lantern without a candle. Something is MISSING and that something is soft, pillowy, toothsome matzo balls that make you feel like your soul is being hugged from the inside out. And if you’re going to make a Jewish culinary classic like Matzo Ball Soup, there is no better chef to turn to than Tori Avey.
Use her chicken soup recipe to make your base, then pick from Matzo Balls three ways: “Floater” Matzo Balls, “Sinker” Matzo Balls or Gluten Free Potato Knaidelach. Find the recipes for each here on Avey’s website.
Split Pea Soup
Split pea soup simply does not get enough love in our opinion, which is why we’ve placed it among our best Dutch oven recipes this fall. Even if you don’t really like peas (valid!), we urge you to try split pea soup because, a) it’s really good for you, and b) it doesn’t taste like peas. Well, not exactly: The peas have more of a lentil-like taste and texture, rather than just straight peas in your face.
This recipe for Split Pea Soup from Ahead of Thyme is a classic, comforting and soul-nourishing dish that will see you through fall and winter.
Apple Cobbler
Who said your Dutch oven was only good for savory dishes? Following an afternoon of apple picking, head straight home and reach for your own trusty cauldron. Apple Cobbler is the perfect after-dinner dessert for all of your fall get-togethers, because it can cook in your Dutch oven while you eat your main course.
Made with brown sugar, apples and cinnamon, this Apple Cobbler recipe posted by The Food Hussy is the best way to enjoy the bounty of the season. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for the complete effect.
What are your go-to Dutch oven recipes at this time of the year?
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories.
