As much as I love soup, I just can’t force myself to eat it in the summer, but come fall I can’t wait to have my first piping hot bowl of hearty soup.  Thankfully, fall is here and with it has come a nice little book of soups to enjoy this fall and all year round.  Sunday Soup by Betty Rosbottom is a collection of soup recipes for each season of the year.  Each season’s soup uses the bounty of the season to create a mixture of traditional and modern soups.  Fall is packed with squash, mushroom, and bean soups; winter has more hearty soups including pork and chicken; spring brings on the vegetables; and summer turns to chilled variations.  This is a fun book with more than just your standard chicken and noodles that will let the foodie in you explore interesting soups all year long.

Scallop and Corn Chowder

From Sunday Soup: A Year's Worth of Mouth-Watering, Easy-to-Make Recipes by Betty Rosbottom. Chronicle Books 2008

I like to make this soup in early fall, when the temperatures are just starting to drop and the days are suddenly cooler. I pair the last of the year’s fresh corn with sea scallops that are dusted with smoked paprika, cumin, and pepper. Other chowder mainstays—potatoes, bacon, and onion—also contribute to the delectable taste and enticing texture of this soup.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Start to finish: 50 minutes

Make Ahead: Partially

Bread Basket Choice: Crusty hard rolls

Soup-er Side: Best-Ever Greens Salad in Classic Vinaigrette, made with mixed greens.

• 1 pound large red-skin potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 4 cups fresh corn kernels or frozen thawed corn kernels, divided
  
• 2 cups chicken stock, divided
  
• 8 thick smoked bacon slices, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup chopped onion
• Vegetable or olive oil for cooking the scallops
• 1 1/3 cups half-and-half
• Kosher salt
• 1 pound large sea scallops, side muscles removed
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika (see note)
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add potatoes and cook until just tender when pierced with a knife, for about 10 minutes. Drain potatoes and set aside.

Purée 2 cups of the corn kernels with 1 cup of the chicken stock in a food processor or blender and set aside.

In a large, heavy pot set over medium heat, sauté the bacon until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings in pot. Add onion and remaining 2 cups of corn kernels. Sauté, stirring, until onions are softened and corn starts to brown lightly, for 5 to 6 minutes.

Stir in the remaining 1 cup chicken stock and the puréed corn mixture. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add potatoes, bacon, and half-and-half and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Do not let the soup come to a boil. (Soup can be prepared 1 day ahead to this point; cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat over low heat and proceed with recipe.) Remove pot from the heat; taste soup and season with salt, as needed. Cover to keep warm while you prepare the scallops.

Pat scallops dry, then quarter them. In a small bowl, mix together smoked paprika, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne; spread spice mixture on a dinner plate. Coat the scallops on all sides with the spice mixture.

Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large, heavy skillet set over medium-high heat. When hot, add enough scallops to fit comfortably in the pan (do not crowd) and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until just seared. Transfer scallops to plate. Repeat with remaining scallops. Season scallops with salt.

To serve, ladle the chowder into 6 soup bowls and top with scallops, dividing evenly. Garnish each serving with some chopped chives. 

Serves 6

At The Market Note: Spanish smoked paprika, called pimentón, is available at gourmet food stores and some well-stocked supermarkets. Look for dulce (sweet) on the label, which indicates a mildly-spiced paprika. If you can’t find smoked paprika locally, you can order it from La Tienda (www.tienda.com).

About Sunday Soups

Sunday is the perfect day to slow down and enjoy a heartwarming meal. From spicy chilies to steaming chowders, Sunday Soup features 60 recipes: one for each Sunday of the year, and then some. Gulf Coast Shrimp Gumbo is best for staving off the winter cold, while Dreamy Creamy Artichoke Soup welcomes the bounty of spring's vegetables. When it's too hot to turn on the stove, chill out with Icy Cucumber Soup with Smoked Salmon and Dill. A great selection of "Soup-er Sides" will turn any bowl of soup into a hearty meal. No matter the season, Sunday Soup offers all the inspiration one needs to pull out a stockpot and start simmering a new family tradition. Soup's on!

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