Simmer

This recipe will serve four as a first course or light lunch. To serve the noodles as a meal, add a few cups of diced firm tofu or cooked chicken breast to the simmering broth in step 3.

After it has finished cooking, this soup will continue to thicken; thin it with hot chicken stock or water, if desired.

Refrigerate the stock in airtight containers for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months. We added canned broth to fortify the stock’s flavor, but you can replace it with water, if you prefer.

Look for soba noodles in the Asian section of your supermarket.

This chilled soup is traditionally garnished with fresh chives. We added the peppery snap of watercress and the tang of buttermilk to give it bite.

You can easily double this recipe and refrigerate leftovers in airtight containers for up to 3 days. The soup can also be frozen for up to 3 months. We used French lentils, but other types of lentils may also be used.

Reserve the shredded beef and tomato pieces to make Hearty Beef Stew (recipe above). Refrigerate the stock in airtight containers for up to 30 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

This recipe uses the shredded meat and tomato pieces left over from making the beef stock (recipe follows). Serve over egg noodles or rice.

White pepper is used because of its color, but black pepper will also work.

You will need to make the stock at least 1 day before you make the soup.

This soup derives its body and rich flavor from pureed broccoli stems and florets.

You can make this soup through step 2 the day before your dinner; refrigerate, covered, until you’re ready to finish.