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➣Don’t know how to bake potatoes? Sigh. Preheat the oven to 350°F, poke the potatoes with a fork a few times, and wrap them in aluminum foil. Place in the oven and bake for about an hour or until easily pierced with a fork.

ONCE YOUR potatoes are baked and cool enough to handle, preheat a soup pot and sauté the onions in the olive oil over medium-high heat until good and brown, about 12 minutes.

While the onions cook, prep the potatoes:

Slice the baked potatoes in half lengthwise. Reserve three of the halves to make the potato wedges. Slice the rest into ¾-inch chunks.

Once the onions are browned, add the garlic, fennel, thyme, sage, black pepper, and salt. Cook for 2 more minutes, then add the wine to deglaze the pan. Add the chunks of potatoes and the broth, cover, and lower the heat a bit to bring to a low boil. Mix in the kale. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 more minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the potato wedges:

Slice the reserved potato halves in half lengthwise so you have six pieces. Preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Combine all the ingredients for the wedges (except for the oil) on a plate. Wet the potato wedges with a little bit of water and dredge the two cut sides in the cornmeal mixture.

Lightly coat the skillet with oil. Cook the potatoes on each cut side for about 4 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Spray with oil as you alternate cooking sides.

The soup should be done by this point. Use a potato masher to mush up about half of the soup (for once, don’t use an immersion blender; it will make the potatoes pasty and yucky), add the soy milk, and mix. If it’s too thick, add a little water or vegetable stock.

Ladle into bowls and top with a potato wedge crouton.

SPICY PEANUT AND EGGPLANT SOUP

SERVES 6 TO 8

TIME: 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES

This is such a naughty (read: not low fat!) soup and so outrageously rich and savory, it’s all too easy to ask for a second helping . . . or two. This thick concoction of meltingly tender eggplant, warming spices, and peanuts was a big hit with our testers. It’s a meal in itself, but would also pair nicely with a bowl of steamed jasmine rice and a simple green salad. A sure thing against the wintertime blues—and true to soup form, tastes even better when heated up the next day.

1 pound eggplant, peeled, chopped in ½-inch cubes

1 teaspoon salt, plus additional to season soup

5 large shallots, peeled and sliced very thinly

¼ cup peanut oil

1 medium-size yellow onion, diced

1 hot chile, seeded and minced

1-inch cube fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

⅛-¼ teaspoon ground cayenne (optional)

2 teaspoons ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

⅓ cup tomato paste

1 (16-ounce) can roasted diced tomatoes with juice

5 cups water or vegetable broth

½ cup creamy or chunky natural peanut butter

½ pound green beans, fresh or frozen, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Optional garnishes: ⅓ cup coarsely chopped cilantro, whole cilantro leaves, and chopped roasted peanuts

➢For more spicy heat in this soup, keep the seeds intact in the chile pepper and add to the stew.

TOSS THE eggplant cubes with the teaspoon of salt in a large bowl or colander. Allow to sit 30 minutes to soften, then gently rinse the eggplant with cold running water and drain.

While the eggplant is being brined, preheat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Sauté the shallots in 2 tablespoons of the oil for about 20 minutes until very soft, browned, and slightly caramelized. Scoop the shallots out of the pot and set aside in a medium-size bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the pot and add the eggplant, stirring to coat with the oil. Stir and cook the eggplant for 12 to 15 minutes, until slightly tender. Transfer the eggplant to the same bowl as the shallots.

Add the remaining oil to the pot and allow it to heat, add the ginger and chile, and fry for 30 seconds. Add the ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, and fry for another 30 seconds,