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Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the cabbage and onion and sauté until they begin to color, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato purée, broth, and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the cabbage is meltingly tender and the broth very flavorful, about 30 minutes.

2 Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Variation: Vegetarian Cabbage and Tomato Soup

Substitute vegetable broth (page 126) for the chicken broth. Substitute 1 tablespoon cumin seeds for the sausage. Be very generous with the pepper.

Miso: A Vegetarian Broth

Miso is the original vegetarian concentrate for making broths, and it should not be forgotten. Once miso has been added to a soup, do not allow it to come to a boil. Boiling will destroy the aroma of the soup as well as beneficial enzymes that are said to promote health.

White Bean and Cabbage Soup

Serves 6–8

When you make a soup out of a simple combination of ingredients, every ingredient must pull its weight. The broth must be full-flavored, and so must be the sausage. Don’t expect a low-fat sausage — say one of those gourmet chicken sausages that one finds in a supermarket — to do the job. This soup is rustic, hearty, and, with the right ingredients, sublime.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small head green or savoy cabbage, thinly sliced (6–8 cups)

1 onion, halved and thinly sliced

6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth (pages 126–27)

½ pound thin-skinned potatoes (do not peel), cut into 1-inch cubes

8 ounces Spanish chorizo, andouille, or other full-flavored, fully cooked sausage

1½ cups cooked white beans, or 1 (15-ounce) can, rinsed and drained

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the cabbage and onion and sauté until beginning to color, about 10 minutes.

2 Add the broth, potatoes, and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

3 Stir in the beans and simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and serve hot.

There is in every cook’s opinion No savoury dish without an onion: But lest your kissing should be spoiled The onion must be thoroughly boiled.

— Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)

Creamed Celery Root Soup

Serves 4–6

There’s very little milk in this cream soup, because a purée of celery root is creamy by itself. If you prefer, you can omit the milk altogether, although it does add richness.

2 large celery roots (about 3 pounds), peeled and coarsely chopped

1 russet (baking) potato, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled

5 cups chicken broth (page 127), plus more as needed

¼ pound bacon, diced

2 large leeks, trimmed and sliced

¼ cup whole milk, plus more as needed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Combine the celery root, potato, garlic, and broth in a saucepan. The broth should cover the vegetables. If not, add a little more broth or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are completely tender, about 35 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

2 Sauté the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain and set the bacon aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease. Add the leeks and sauté until wilted, about 4 minutes.

3 Using a blender and working in batches, purée the celery root mixture until smooth; pour into the saucepan with the leeks. Stir in the milk. If you would prefer a thinner soup, add more milk or broth. Season with salt and pepper. Reheat as necessary to serve hot, garnished with the reserved bacon.

Variation: Vegetarian Creamed Celery Root Soup

Substitute vegetable broth (page 126) for the chicken broth, omit the bacon, and sauté the leeks in 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Garnish with something crunchy — either crispy fried onions or croutons. Crumbled potato chips will