Soup

An elegant first course from Club Gascon.

"Cooking with friends — that's pretty much what my life has been about," writes Louise Pickerel of Muskogee, Oklahoma. "When I moved here from Texas ten years ago, it was hard to leave the people I'd known for so long, but I've probably met two hundred new people since then. I have always entertained, but now that I'm retired, I finally have more time to play bridge and cook." Louise likes to serve this chunky soup with ham or roast beef sandwich wraps.

(Cream of Carrot Soup with Ginger) Hot carrot soup in your belly at night feels good and soothing... Sweet dreams!

Romanesco cauliflower — with its cone-shaped florets — has a more subtle, nuanced flavor than traditional varieties. The size of Romanesco cauliflower can vary widely, so we call for weight in this recipe rather than number of heads.

This is the pot-au-feu from my neighbor the florist. You will find yourself making this a permanent part of your repertoire.

This soup stands on its own as a main course when paired with a green salad and some crusty bread.

Puréeing the corn with low-fat milk gives the soup a creamy texture. Serve it as a starter or as a light main course with a green salad and crusty bread.

A hearty soup that's a snap to prepare.

Pozole Blanco con Salsa de Chile de Árbol This dish is similar to the original white pozole that was created in the 18th century. Some regions now specialize in red and green versions. If you don't have a Mexican market nearby, you may have to order the pigs' feet and pork neck bones from your butcher up to one week before you plan to make this (ask the butcher to split the pigs' feet). If substituting pork neck bones for pigs' feet, you'll need a total of 4 1/2 pounds of neck bones for the soup.

Once the soup is processed, the addition of extra yogurt adds a creamy texture. The diced cucumber and radishes add a crunchy texture. If hothouse cucumbers are not available, substitute the firm garden variety and double the amount called for. Peel cucumbers and halve lengthwise, then seed.

To clean leeks, trim off 3 inches of the green and then slice them in half lengthwise. Run under cold water to remove sand, then continue with the recipe.

For a picnic, transport the soup in a thermos.

Brewed green tea is a delicious, aromatic broth for scallops in this refined rendition of Japan's ochazuke, or "tea rice." The comforting soup-like dish evolved from using hot tea to rinse out rice bowls at the end of meals. Serve this as a light lunch or as an appetizer, followed by teriyaki-marinated chicken or salmon and some steamed Asian greens.

A hearty soup that tastes just as good when rewarmed the next day.

Harira Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 12 1/2 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

We've suggested toasted French bread as an accompaniment to this soup, but bear in mind it is not included in our calorie count. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.