This pretty, light green soup contrasts sweet cucumber with tart yogurt and lemon juice. The thick texture of Greek yogurt works particularly well with the other ingredients. If you can’t find it at a supermarket, substitute plain, whole milk yogurt or sour cream. This is good for a ladies’ luncheon on a hot day. The soup would be hopelessly bland without sweet onions, pickles, and chives perking up each bite. It is best to prepare it the day you serve it so the vegetables stay fresh and crunchy.
This is one of the first cold soups we ever started making in our stores. Avocadoes sometimes get a bad name because they are high in fat, but they contain no cholesterol and are a good source of fiber and Vitamin C.We have found that anything containing avocado is a huge seller because of the smooth and creamy texture. In this recipe, the freshly squeezed lime juice and fresh cilantro intensify the avocado’s slightly nutty flavor. Cucumbers add a cool crunch that makes this soup so refreshing.
I started making this soup one summer when a customer brought us the zucchini that seemed to be inundating her garden. Some of them were so big they would not even fit into the pot. (We used those whoppers for decorations—guaranteed to give customers a laugh). The rest went into the first batches of this spinach and zucchini bisque.
The habanero chile pepper, a Caribbean favorite, is super hot, so you only need one for the entire soup.
Roasted eggplant is probably most familiar to people as the key ingredient in the Middle Eastern spread, baba ghanoush. I knew that eggplant would make a great base for a soup if I could somehow get beyond its unappealing gray color. I found the solution by adding roasted red peppers and tomatoes. I also added mint to contrast with the concentrated, almost smoky flavors of the pepper and eggplant. The color turned into a beautiful, creamy coral, and the soup has become one of our most popular vegetarian selections.
For a Middle Eastern touch, serve the soup with Homemade Toasted Pita Chips (see Syrian Chickpea Soup Recipe).
For a Middle Eastern touch, serve the soup with Homemade Toasted Pita Chips (see Syrian Chickpea Soup Recipe).
Those pre-washed, bite-sized carrots at the supermarket have made this vegetable a lot more convenient to grab for a snack. Still, the crunchy, raw sticks can’t match the appeal of carrots in a soup. When cooked, carrots add texture, body—and a pretty, orange glow. They also contain lots of Vitamin A. In this recipe, honey enhances their natural sweetness. Fresh ginger root adds a contrasting note of heat and spice. The overall flavor profile is similar to pumpkin pie. When I serve it at home, I like to garnish the top with a few pieces of candied ginger, and drizzle it with a bit of honey.
The word verde means green in Italian, and green vegetables—with just a few beans for texture and protein—are the theme of this Italian-inspired minestrone soup. Use your imagination when making this soup, and snap up the green vegetables that look crisp and fresh—wherever you do your shopping.
Potato and leek soup is a culinary classic. This recipe gives it an update by roasting sliced leeks in the oven until they are soft and sweet. I like using Yukon Gold potatoes, as they have a nice, buttery color and flavor.March is the perfect time to make this soup because leeks are just coming into season.
Asparagus is to spring what apples are to fall. Both unmistakably signal the change in season, though the effect is somewhat diminished now that they have become more available year-round.
This soup tastes as fresh as its bright green color. Around here, everyone is ready for a spoonful as soon as the crocuses poke up from the last of the snow. It’s a relatively quick and easy recipe. The resh mint added at the end gives the soup a clean finish. It makes a beautiful first course for Easter, as it goes really well with rack of lamb. The pale white, slightly tangy crème fraiche contrasts nicely with the soup’s color and earthy flavor.
I call this shish kabob soup because it tastes as wonderful as a skewer of lamb and vegetables. I cook the meat until it is soft and tender, then add it to the soup.
Each year we wait to make this soup until the air is crisp and everyone is reinvigorated by the bustle of the new school year. The first batch feels like Opening Day for the fall. The flaming orange color and creamy, dense texture make it a luscious treat. For a finishing flourish, we toss in dried cranberries that have been soaked in sherry. Each spoonful looks like it’s studded with polka dots.
This soup, retired for the summer, goes right back onto our menu as soon as the fall harvest hits the markets. The comforting flavor of thick pea soup is enhanced with the natural sweetness of the fresh pumpkin. If you stock your pantry with the basic ingredients, you can make this the day you drive past a farm stand and spontaneously decide it’s time to stop for a pumpkin.
This is my favorite pumpkin soup recipe. I created it after I had eaten a magnificent butternut squash ravioli with brown butter and sage at Olives restaurant near Boston, chef-owner Todd English’s home base. I had to see if I could make a soup that could remind me of its perfectly balanced flavors. I played with the spices and ingredients, and found that white beans gave me better results than pasta. Whenever I taste this soup, it reminds me of that meal at Olives. I am thankful to Chef Todd for inspiring me to create bold and spirited dishes.
This soup is a hearty blend of brown lentils, vegetables, and a variety of mushrooms. I love the texture because each bite is wonderfully chewy. The scallions, parsley, and thyme finish it with a burst of green crunchiness. This is my dad’s favorite soup. I always drop off a quart for him the day I make it. I usually check later to see how he and my mom liked it, but then I learn that my mom never even got one bite of it!
This has become one of our classic cold-weather soups. I usually make the first batch of the season in October, but I start getting phone calls for it in late September, followed by e-mails to our website asking when we will have it. It’s a sweet, rich soup that tastes best after the first frost. In terms of comfort food, this soup is right up there with mashed potatoes. It includes wonderful, old-fashioned ingredients like turnips and celeriac. People who think that they do not like these vegetables are surprised to fall in love with them when they taste this soup. It must be the smooth, creamy texture of all the ingredients blended together.
I like my pea soups thick and hearty, and this peasant-style recipe certainly fills the bill. It’s inexpensive to make, and I usually have all the ingredients on hand in my pantry at home. Make it a day ahead so the bacon has time to flavor the soup. To dress it up a little, serve it with a basket of freshly baked crostini.
This soup really captures the essence of autumn in New England. It has become a signature on our Thanksgiving menu because it makes such a distinctive first course. Sweet and creamy pumpkin simmered in lobster stock gives the soup its strength and body. Fresh ginger and crème fraîche spark it up. Sweet nuggets of fresh lobster—a treat in any season—are dispersed throughout. I first served this soup at a luncheon for 300 at a national Women Chefs and Restaurateurs conference held in Boston.We garnished each little bowl with toasted pumpkin seeds, fresh chives, and a drizzle of crème fraîche and received rave reviews from a highly critical audience!
Everyone seems to love minestrone soup, maybe because it’s such a celebration of vegetables in one bowl. In this recipe, the meaty flavor from the sausages really enhances the tomato-flavored stock. To keep the flavors balanced, I always use a combination of hot and sweet Italian sausages. If you have access to a butcher who makes the sausages in-house, your soup will taste even better. The addition of the orzo pasta near the end of the cooking time keeps it from swelling too much in the soup.
One of the most requested flavors of soup has to be beef and barley. It seems to be the ultimate in comfort food for toddlers, grandparents, and all ages in between. Make a batch in the middle of February when your bones feel cold and worn. In this recipe, you need to cook the meat separately to tenderize it and bring out the best in its flavor. A nice, crusty rye bread makes a great accompaniment.