Fall Cooking That Doubles as Self-Care 🍁


Hi Reader,

I have a theory: autumn isn’t really a season—it’s a mood swing in a cable-knit sweater. One day you’re smugly sipping your pumpkin spice latte, the next you’re staring down the barrel of daylight savings with the kind of dread usually reserved for dental work. When I was a kid, my mother believed the cure for any malaise—be it heartbreak, the flu, or my theatrics over multiplication tables—was a pot of something simmering on the stove.

Her chicken soup was Prozac before Prozac, her stews equal parts therapy and arm workout (stirring those thick gravies was no joke). Even now, when the nights get sharp and I feel myself sliding into my annual tango with melancholy, I do what she did: I cook. I chop like I’m exorcising demons, stir as if each swirl is rewinding the chaos of the day, and then I sit, finally, spoon in hand, soothed by broth and memory.

So, if the world feels a little jagged at the edges right now, may I prescribe a pot of soup, a roast that perfumes the whole house, or a bubbling casserole that says, “You are safe here.” Trust me—therapy can wait until Tuesday, but dinner cannot.

Your 5-step Autumn Survival Kit

  1. Soup = Sanity: Keep one big-batch soup on rotation. Freeze half, eat half. Voilà—future-you owes current-you a thank-you note.
  2. Sheet Pan Therapy: Toss root vegetables, chicken thighs, olive oil, and herbs onto a tray. Roast. Eat. Marvel at your efficiency.
  3. The Braise is Boss: Cheap cuts of meat + low, slow heat = flavor that tastes like you labored all day (even if you were bingeing Netflix).
  4. Double Duty Dinners: Cook once, eat twice. Tonight’s roast chicken becomes tomorrow’s chicken and rice soup. Efficiency is delicious.
  5. Set the Scene: Candlelight, a real napkin, maybe even The Carpenters on vinyl. Don’t just eat—dine. Your psyche deserves ceremony.

WHAT'S INSIDE...

Caldo Verde

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.85 from 118 votes

Portuguese kale soup, caldo verde, is something you’ll experience literally everywhere in Portugal, from Lisbon’s trendiest restaurants to farmhouses scattered at the edge of villages. Understandably so. Its simple yet sustaining character is appreciated everywhere.
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Coq au Vin

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.75 from 66 votes

This coq au vin recipe strays a little from the original but I don't think that's to its detriment. This updated version of the simple French chicken stew uses a robust brown chicken stock, mushrooms, onions, bacon, and red wine.
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Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

This homemade chicken pot pie features tender rosemary baked chicken, onions, peas, and carrots, cooked in cream sauce and encapsulated in buttery pie crust. And since they're made individually, you don't have to share. With anyone.
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Ina Garten's Company Pot Roast

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.73 from 58 votes

This Barefoot Contessa company pot roast takes an inexpensive beef chuck roast, a bottle of red wine, a little brandy, carrots, onions, celery, leeks, and tomatoes and transforms them into a meal worthy of a dinner party. And leftovers to last the week.
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Ina Garten's Easy Tomato Soup

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.72 from 32 votes

This tomato soup is spiced with saffron, which has enough flavor to stand up to the Gruyère in the croutons. And the whole thing is awfully easy to put together, beating out anything from a can, anyday.
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French Onion-Skillet Chicken

Take the elements of French onion soup--beef broth, a hunk of bread, tons of caramelized onions, and a raft of cheese--and mash it up with perfectly seared chicken thighs, and you have French onion-skillet chicken. Sounds weird, I know, but I swear it works.
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Italian Sausage Soup (With Gnocchi & Spinach)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.8 from 15 votes

This Italian sausage soup is a cozy one-pot meal that's laden with sweet sausage, tender gnocchi, spinach, and topped with crispy pancetta. It's perfect winter comfort food.
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Creamy French Chicken Stew

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.74 from 30 votes

This version of blanquette is slightly simplified in that it doesn’t involve making a roux but it’s no less flavourful. Serve this with plain boiled rice and garnish with fresh thyme leaves and parsley for a simple, comforting meal that comes together quickly, even on a weeknight.
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Easy Pot Roast, Potatoes & Vegetables

This easy pot roast with potatoes and vegetables is quick to assemble and then made in the slow cooker or crock pot or simply slid into the oven. A simple classic with beef, carrots, potatoes, and red wine. Perhaps our best—and most comforting—Sunday supper.
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Shepherd’s Pie With Onions & Cheddar

This shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb, caramelized onions, mashed potatoes, all topped with grated Cheddar cheese. If you prefer beef instead of lamb, simply call it cottage pie.
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