• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Vegetable soups are the easiest because the taste of the vegetables must come through—the soup therefore must remain uncomplicated. Soups made with grains and legumes are by and large more time-consuming but also heartier—as are those that include some kind of protein, from chicken to cheese. These latter are all stand-alones, perfect for a meal on their own. Finally, cold soups, a shock to some, are a brilliant way to set off a barbecue or bring a little light to winter doldrums.

Hearty stocks round out this chapter. They’re made two ways: with the long-simmered method and the much faster pressure cooker method. Consider making a batch and freezing it in small portions; even substituting 1 cup of homemade stock for pack aged broth will make a world of difference in any recipe.

So here’s to the cures: creamy soups for the winter blues, hearty soups after a hard day’s work, and even cold soups for summertime bliss. Some are traditional; some fanciful; none fancy. The point is to get a bowl of comfort on the table.

* * *

Vegetable Soups

These are the simplest soups—in smaller portions, they’re starters; with salad and bread, they make a light main course. Most can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days—or frozen in individual servings for microwave lunches or dinners later on.

* * *

Spring or Fall Vegetable Soup

Here’s a basic vegetable soup in two versions. Choose either the spring or autumn vegetables in the recipe list. The parsley should be cooked slowly at first to infuse the oil. Makes 6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

¼ cup chopped parsley leaves

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large beefsteak tomato, cored and finely chopped

8 cups (2 quarts) chicken broth

1 bay leaf

Spring Vegetables

2 medium zucchini, roughly chopped

2 medium yellow summer squash, roughly chopped

1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and roughly chopped

½ pound green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

½ pound asparagus spears, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

½ pound sugar snap peas, stems and fibrous veins removed, roughly chopped

Winter Vegetables

4 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 medium acorn squash, peeled, halved, seeded, and roughly chopped

¾ pound yellow-fleshed potatoes, such as Yukon golds, peeled and diced

½ pound Brussels sprouts, quartered

½ pound cremini or white button mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over low heat. Swirl in the olive oil, then add the onion and parsley. Cook slowly, stirring often, until the onion is golden, about 7 minutes.

Add the garlic, cook for 15 seconds, then add the tomato. Stir well, raise the heat to medium-high, and pour in the broth, scraping up any browned bits on the pan’s bottom as the broth comes to a simmer.

Stir in the bay leaf and all the spring vegetables (the zucchini, yellow squash, fennel, green beans, asparagus, and sugar snaps) or winter vegetables (the carrots, acorn squash, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and mushrooms).

Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes for the spring vegetables, 45 minutes for the winter ones. Remove the bay leaf; stir in the salt and pepper before serving.

Variations: Stir in 2 cups cooked and drained shaped pasta (ziti, rigatoni, farfalle) during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

For a brighter taste, stir in 2 teaspoons cider or white wine vinegar with the salt.

For a deeper taste, use beef broth instead of chicken.

For a richer soup, add the rind from a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano with the vegetables. Shave off the wax and any ink with a vegetable peeler before adding. The cheese will melt as the vegetables cook; discard the remnant after cooking.

A road map for

Creamy Vegetable Soup

Here’s a rich, thick, yet light cream soup. Use any of the vegetables called for, but