A Beautiful Bowl of Soup

This cookbook is a result of the talents and dedicated work of many special people. My most sincere thanks to:

Bill LeBlond, editorial director of cookbooks at Chronicle Books, for valuing my talents; to Amy Treadwell, his assistant, for her attention to detail; and to Holly Barrows for filling in during the final phases.

Jane Dystel, my agent, for her wisdom and sound advice.

Photographer William Meppem, for bringing my recipes to life on these pages, and to Azi Rad for creating a pleasing design, to Steve Kim for coordinating the production tasks, and to Jan Hughes, Doug Ogan, and Carolyn Miller, for skillfully seeing this book through editorial.

Brett Mitchell, my son and skilled taster, who misses home-cooked and artistically presented meals while away at college.

And to many friends who tested, tasted, and shared their thoughts: Darryl Trones, Barb Kennedy, Raghavan Iyer, Nathan Fong, Cynthia Myntti, Fran Lebahn, Marie Wintergerst, Emilie Richardson, Connie Reider, Beth Dooley, Loretta McCarthy, Kris Igo, Marcia Rogers, Linda Platt, Stephanie Grossman, Deb Dresler, Lis Viehweg, Gale and Susie Smieja, John Davidson, Tom Nugent, David Briscoe, Jack Balasa, and Tom McNamee.

Finally, I thank every one of my cooking class students, culinary colleagues, and fans who make it possible for me to do what I love doing most — teach, communicate, and share delicious food.

When I was a girl, my mom made soup every Friday afternoon. Its aroma welcomed me through the back door, ushering in the slower, longed-for weekend, promising a simple, casual family meal. Today, soup transports me to a cozy dinner after a busy workday—and on weekends provides a laid-back meal or elegant do-ahead dinner for friends.

As a chef and mother of a growing teenaged son, I’ve found myself adapting traditional recipes to our lives today. We still long for the old-fashioned hearty, soul-soothing soups like the ones my mom made, but we’re replacing the meat with vegetables, and cutting back on fat while adding the vibrant flavors and aromas of fresh herbs. These are substantial and healthful changes that appeal to everyone, vegetarian or not.

The most indispensable ingredient of all good home cooking: love for those you are cooking for.

—Sophia Loren

Soups cross international borders, offering a glimpse into the world’s cuisines. They make use of indigenous ingredients and offer a range of flavors from Mexico to Japan. In my travels through Europe, Mexico, and the South Pacific, I’ve found vegetarian soups to be varied and interesting, satisfying and unique. The recipes here are culled from the classics and inspired by recent journeys. Here is minestrone from Siena, so thick with vegetables you’ll need a fork to eat it; a luscious French vegetable soup topped with sherried mushrooms that conjures a shopping spree and lunch on the Champs Elysée; and a Mexican soup that begs for crispy tortillas.

Soup making is one of the most flexible, personal, and enjoyable of kitchen tasks, relying as much on the cook’s style and seasonal ingredients as a particular recipe. The range is endless, the work simple. Many a family meal can be easily cooked up in no time. For both casual and elegant entertaining, soup provides glorious possibilities.

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.

—Harriet Van Horne

The preparation of soup requires no fancy equipment, tricky skills, or time-consuming techniques. Most can be made ahead (in fact, many improve when their seasonings have time to marry). And they require only a few moments to assemble before serving. Soups themselves can be the main event, or the freedom they provide can allow you to prepare other courses and, perhaps more importantly, to mingle with your guests. Most soup recipes multiply nicely for a crowd, and as a bonus, leftovers make great lunches and snacks.

TIP

If you double a recipe, do not double the amount of herbs or spices. Use just a little more than in the original recipe, then add more to taste.

Homey though it may be, no soup should be ordinary. Soup making can bring out the artist in you as you garnish and adorn your soups with artistic flair. Here you’ll find standout presentations, as well as unique accompaniments, garnishes, and toppings that offer multidimensional flavor in addition to visual appeal. Pumpkin Stew is baked in a pumpkin; classic caramelized onion soup is updated with goat cheese croutons; spicy Sweet Potato–Ancho Bisque is swirled with a bright Roasted Red Pepper Cream, meant to chase away the winter chills. Elegant Pear and Gouda Soup with Toasted Walnut-Cranberry Salsa begins a special dinner; Black Bean Soup with Mango Salsa packs a pretty, flavorful punch. Lest you think soup is confined to cold weather, Fresh Pink Peach Soup soothes and refreshes on a blasting July day. Soup need not be relegated to first course or entrée; you’ll also find luscious dessert soups, such as Berry-Wine Soup or Strawberry Bonbon Soup.

A soup may be any combination of ingredients cooked in a liquid and can be thick like a gumbo or thin like a consommé, smooth and creamy like a bisque or chunky like a chowder. Soups may begin a meal or become one. Some are hot and some are cold; all require a spoon.

A soup may be stewed, but a stew will never be souped. Stew (both verb and noun) describes not only the dish, but the way it is prepared. Stews are a combination of a cooking liquid and the natural juices of the food being cooked on the stove top or in the oven. Since these vegetarian stews don’t contain meat, they require less cooking time than traditional stews. It usually takes less than an hour to bring out the rich flavors of vegetables. Calling for less liquid than soups, stews are thicker and chunkier. You can eat a stew with a fork. Always served hot, a stew is often spooned over a base of noodles, potatoes, rice, or other grains, making the dish a wholesome main course.

Eating stew in a dream portends a reunion with old friends.

—Ned Ballantyne and Stella Coeli, from Your Horoscope and Dreams

I’ve organized these soups according to texture and appearance, rather than by season or course. Some are as wonderful served chilled as hot, and are so noted. Many double as a first course or an entrée; it’s really up to you.

A Beautiful Bowl of Soup includes the basics: equipment, technique, advance preparation, serving suggestions, accompaniments, and garnishes. The recipes are meatless, but will appeal to everyone looking for flavor, texture, color, and style. Vegan recipes are listed on
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and noted with the recipes. You’ll also find the tips, hints, and kitchen wisdom you’ll need to make these recipes work at their best.

These recipes have been personally kitchen tested and are sure to work. They are my favorites, and I hope they will comfort and please your family and guests—and make your time in the kitchen easy, creative, and fun.

Soup’s on!

Soup making doesn’t call for much special equipment. Most average home kitchens will likely already have the necessary utensils.

You do need the right pot. Rather than a stockpot, I like to use a heavy Dutch oven for most soups. Most recipes begin by sautéing ingredients before adding the liquid. The bottom of a Dutch oven provides a large, flat surface that allows vegetables to be cooked in a single layer, and the wide opening makes it easy to add ingredients and to check them as they cook. You’ll need a tight-fitting lid so that the liquid won’t evaporate later in the cooking process as the soup simmers.

Heat-sensitive soups containing ingredients that scorch easily (such as a dessert soup containing chocolate) are best cooked in a double boiler. Be sure to have several long-handled stirring spoons, a large slotted spoon, and, of course, a soup ladle.

I’d be lost without two electrical appliances: a food processor for chopping vegetables and a blender for puréeing smooth, creamy soups. You’ll need several sizes of rubber spatulas for scraping food from containers, and large bowls for holding puréed soups, as well as small bowls for assembling ingredients.

Don’t underestimate the importance of a good set of knives. If you were to choose just three, I’d recommend a chef’s knife in a length that is comfortable for you to handle, a paring knife, and a serrated bread knife. For a cutting surface, select a large cutting board.

As for other equipment, you’ll need a vegetable peeler and a grater, basting brushes, whisks, tongs, measuring cups and spoons, a baking sheet or two, a strainer, a colander, and a timer. While it’s best to time your cooking by the appearance and aroma of the cooking ingredients, a timer will serve as a reminder to help prevent overcooking.

It’s important to have a good-quality peppermill and a zester, and it’s fun to have a plastic squeeze bottle for adding creamy toppings to the surface of some soups. You can make an attractive presentation for creamy soups by adding swirls or dots of smooth-textured, brightly colored garnishes.

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To make a “spider web” design on the surface of a creamy soup, drizzle a smooth, creamy garnish in concentric circles, then draw a knife from the center outward, like spokes in a wheel.

Since soups are often made in advance and most leftovers keep well, you’ll want storage containers in several sizes. Refrigerate the soup and toppings separately (be sure to label and date containers). Reheat the soup on the stove or in the microwave before serving.