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Omit the cinnamon and nutmeg; add ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper in their place.

Place cooked shrimp, jumbo lump crabmeat, or cooked chopped lobster meat in the serving bowls before ladling in the soup.

Squash Bisque: Substitute three 10-ounce packages frozen winter squash puree, thawed, for the pumpkin. Start the recipe at step 3; whisk in the squash puree as you would the pumpkin puree.

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Storing Soup

Omit any garnishes; store, covered, in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days. Soups with flour, bread crumbs, or potato will thicken in storage: add a little broth to thin them out before reheating. Once chilled, soups can be frozen, covered, for up to 2 months (although the vegetables will not be as vibrant after thawing). Perk up the taste of previously frozen soups with a teaspoon or two of lemon juice.

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Ginger and Cauliflower Soup

The highlight here is the ginger—in three forms, fresh, ground, and crystallized. The cauliflower gives the soup body and creaminess without adding any actual cream. Makes 8 servings

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

One 2½-pound cauliflower head, trimmed and broken into small florets

¼ cup minced peeled fresh ginger

1/3 cup chopped crystallized ginger

2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest, plus additional for garnish

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, preferably white pepper

4 cups (1 quart) vegetable broth

2 cups plain yogurt (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)

2 tablespoons honey

Heat a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Add the canola oil, then the onion. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the cauliflower florets and minced fresh ginger; cook, stirring often, until very aromatic, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the crystallized ginger, orange zest, ground ginger, salt, and pepper. Cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the broth, scraping up the browned bits on the pan’s bottom.

Bring to a simmer; then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly until the cauliflower is very tender, about 30 minutes.

Working in batches as needed, pour the contents of the pan into a large food processor fitted with the chopping blade or into a large blender. Process or blend until smooth; turn off the machine to occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated. Pour the puree back into the saucepan. Alternatively, use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pan.

Whisk in the yogurt and honey; bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly. Ladle into bowls; if desired, grate a little orange zest over each serving.

Variations: Substitute unsalted butter for the canola oil.

Add up to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper with the ground ginger.

For a brighter taste, substitute 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest for the orange zest.

Curried Ginger Soup: Add 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder with the ground ginger.

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Pureeing in a Blender

When you blend hot liquids in a blender, the heat can cause increased air pressure under the lid, blowing it off and spraying the soup everywhere, causing a mess at the very least or a nasty burn at the worst. To avoid this volatile reaction, remove the center cap from the blender’s lid, thereby allowing better air flow; cover the hole in the lid loosely with a kitchen towel. Hold the towel in place while you puree the hot ingredients. If the blender’s lid doesn’t have a removable center cap, remove the lid entirely and cover the blender with a clean kitchen towel—but beware: you can still burn yourself if the hot liquids soak the towel.

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Thai-Inspired Squash and

Mushroom Soup

Here’s a spicy Thai curry soup with Western vegetables. Makes 6 servings

1 medium shallot, peeled and quartered

One 1½-inch piece lemongrass, white part only, tough outer leaves removed, the remainder thinly sliced