Soup/Stew

When was the last time you had a traditional, everything-from-scratch bisque? The rarity of an execution this loving, along with those succulent lumps of meat, guarantees groans of pleasure at the Christmas table. The intensely crabby finishing touch, with its base akin to drawn butter, will delight veteran crustacean eaters.

This soup, served hot in a shot glass, is wonderfully warming, and the spicy heat from the chiles will wake up your taste buds. It's a great way to kick-start some festive conversation.

This old-fashioned winter dish is the soup equivalent of a hot toddy. Use a wide pot so the dumplings don't stick together.

Simple to make and packed with omega-3s, this soup can be an easy weeknight supper or a sophisticated starter at a dinner party. Serve it with oyster crackers for the kids.

A fiber-filled belly warmer from Brian Scheehser, chef at Trellis in Kirkland, Washington.

This spicy soup from Shawn McClain, chef at Green Zebra in Chicago, is rich in immunity-enhancing vitamin A.

Eat this hearty chili as is or over rice.

An intriguing, rich, and spicy soup with West African roots.

This hearty fish soup get tons of flavor from smoky bacon and fragrant saffron.

Golden beets have orangey skin and a more delicate sweetness than red beets.

Vegetarians deserve a showstopping centerpiece for their main course, too, and this burnished pumpkin, filled with a fragrant stew, will have even meat eaters saying, "Who needs a turkey?" Root vegetables, mushrooms, and seitan—a firm, meatlike wheat protein that soaks up all the flavors of the sauce—mingle with roasted vegetables inside the pumpkin, whose flesh you scoop out along with servings of the stew. (Don't be intimidated at the thought of assembling such a masterpiece—if you've ever made a jack-o'-lantern, you have the skills to prepare this dish.)

With its notes of cumin, cinnamon, and chocolate playing off the gentle spice, this meatless chili combines the best parts of a mole sauce and a Cincinnati-style chili. Its rich body makes it a seriously satisfying dinner any night of the week.

Lightly poached eggs add luxurious body and sophistication to this weeknight soup.

Floating on the surface of this pale, silky soup, which tastes of the essence of parsley, is a trompe l'oeil surprise: What looks like shaved truffles is actually thinly sliced chestnuts, adding a nutty sweetness.

Use any seasonal squash you like in this comforting and creamy soup.

This recipe was created by chef Traci Des Jardins of San Francisco's Jardinière. It's part of a special menu she created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

Although this soup is full of earthy flavor, it's also relatively light, which makes it a perfect first course for the big holiday meal. As a bonus, it can be prepared several days ahead and quickly reheated at the last minute.

An immersion blender makes the prep time even shorter.