Photo: Abstract Gourmet / Flickr

As the days get shorter and colder, everyone feels like food that’s warm and comforting. Pastas, slow-cooked food, soups and stews, and course desserts are autumn favourites, so choose food for a delicious autumn menu and learn how to get it all just right to keep friends and family satisfied during the cooler months.

Soups

Keep it simple and soothing with soup as a starter or main dish. As these recipes show, soup really doesn’t have to be boring, and it can look great when decorated with a swirl of cream and a sprig of parsley or basil. An autumn favourite? Pumpkin soup. Its bright colour is always appealing and it’s an October speciality.

Pasta and bakes

Autumn is a great time for big, baked dishes that provide perfectly for second helpings. These are a great option for vegetarians, and while they’re generally not calorie-conscious they can be very healthy. Go for options with tomato sauces and lots of spinach and other veg.

Roasts and ‘slow food’

Photo: su-lin / Flickr

For more traditional food for autumn, you can’t go wrong with a roast. You can keep it simple, or get a little more fancy with a duck recipe with all the trimmings. Either way, one thing you’ll definitely want to invest in for autumn and the winter months to come is a good roasting dish.

Desserts

The perfect way to move from summer eating to desserts for winter is with a tasty crumble – it may be a fruit dessert but it has the warm, heavy appeal of a winter recipe, especially when served with thick cream. Choose your favourite fruit and get baking – just make sure that you make plenty, because even those who think they’re already full will be able to make space for dessert to round off the meal.

Tags: autumn recipes