Soup

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Buying beets with the greens attached—as required for this recipe—is a sure way to know they’re fresh. Beets are often cooked before they’re peeled or cut to keep nutrients intact. Here, the prep work is done first without sacrifice: The juices that result make up the nutritious broth and give the soup its deep flavor and color.