“This is the simplest soup you can make. Use vegetable broth if you want a vegetarian version. You can add leftover pasta, rice, cooked vegetables, or tofu. Use the rest of the escarole for a salad another day.”

(From `Suppers` by Claire Macdonald of Macdonald)
“In the autumn, winter and early spring months I love to make the most of the wide variety of root vegetables available both in the garden and on the shelves of shops and supermarkets. This soup uses as wide a range as you can get, all very finely sliced into matchsticks – which takes no time at all if you have a mandolin. The basis of this soup is a good chicken stock – or, if you are cooking for non-meat eaters, a vegetable stock. The soup can be made two or three days in advance and kept in a covered container in the fridge, or it can be frozen if you are trying to get well ahead with your cooking. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge.
This soup has the added benefit of being so low in calories that it is a real bonus for those who, like me, are perpetually totting up their calorie intake.”

“I’m a huge fan of lentils. Not only are lentils very tasty, but they are also extremely healthy for you, being very high in dietary fiber, protein, iron, and folate.

On one of the vegetarian email groups I belong to, someone posted a recipe for a Lentil Sage Soup. Since sage is one of my favorite herbs to cook with, I knew right away this would be a fantastic recipe. This is my variation on it, and I’ve made a few slight changes. The liquid smoke added at the end gives a wonderful flavor to this rich soup, and complements the fresh sage perfectly."

“There’s nothing better in the cold weather than a bowl of warm soup. That satisfied, full feeling after eating soup is so very nice. Although this soup is very simple to make, and only has a few ingredients, it’s a powerhouse of flavor. Fresh ginger, which is a natural and great remedy for indigestion and nausea, make this the perfect soup if you’re feeling under the weather.

This soup is also the perfect base for adding any of your favorite noodles, vegetable, or even tofu or shredded chicken. This would be the perfect starter to any asian meal, or a great light supper. It’s like Ramen noodles – for grownups!"

“I used Rancho Gordo Borlotti beans for this recipe, but you could use other beans from the cranberry family if they are more readily available. The thing I love about Rancho Gordo beans is that they are fresh crop dried beans. Some of the dried beans you come into contact with in stores are from crops five or more years ago. Steve’s beans are typically less than a year old and they plump up beautifully.”

“I found petite dried ceci beans at a local Italian shop to use in this soup, but standard-sized beans work beautifully as well. I used a bit of vegetable bouillon to create a quick broth – the Rapunzel brand (regular with herbs) is a favorite. Soak your beans overnight or at the very least for a few hours before cooking the soup – in a pinch you could conceivably get away with using canned beans.”

“Among the most inexpensive of foods, dried beans offer a bounty of fiber, iron, protein, folic acid and B vitamins. Black beans, also known as “turtle beans,” are an especially tasty variety, and make a lovely soup. Do not salt dried beans until they are cooked, as the salt slows down the softening process. On another note, so-called “cooking” wines or sherries contain lots of added salt. Do your palate and your body a favor and use a drinkable sherry in this recipe."

“Among the most inexpensive of foods, dried beans offer a bounty of fiber, iron, protein, folic acid and B vitamins. Black beans, also known as “turtle beans,” are an especially tasty variety, and make a lovely soup. Do not salt dried beans until they are cooked, as the salt slows down the softening process. On another note, so-called “cooking” wines or sherries contain lots of added salt. Do your palate and your body a favor and use a drinkable sherry in this recipe."