Soup

This homey soup was inspired by a recipe from Maria, the nanny for Patrick's family. She served warm corn tortillas alongside.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

(Fresh Pea Soup)

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The garlic is added in two lots here to get two different flavors. The first amount is sautéed with other vegetables at the beginning of the recipe in good Italian or Spanish fashion. The second goes in near the end to provide a bite. The tomatoes provide most of the liquid.

Adding potatoes to the puree reduces the amount of cream needed to give this soup its thick, creamy texture.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Apples and apple cider lend a pleasant sweetness to this beautiful soup.

The broth can be served on its own as a light starter with or without the vegetables in it. It can also be used in recipes calling for canned vegetable broth.

A second vegetarian wheat soup, this is well worth trying. The recipe calls for winter wheat berries, but it could just as easily be made with spelt. The cooking time difference is minimal. If cooked wheat berries or spelt are on hand, simply add 9 cups (2.25 liters) water to 2 3/4 cups (360 g) cooked berries and continue from there.

For cool contrast to the spicy soup, serve an orange, red onion and avocado salad sprinkled with ground cumin, fresh lime juice and olive oil. Complete the main course with corn bread, and end with vanilla pudding topped with cocoa powder and chopped pecans.

Root vegetables are a staple of Irish cooking. They often show up in soups, such as this one from The Courtyard in Schull, Ireland.

A version of the popular Cuban soup comes from Miami's Casa Larios.

Cream of tomato soup should be gentle and soothing. This is a perfect example. Adding baking soda to the tomatoes keeps the milk from curdling.