Celery

Pick firm, bright-green celery stalks with lots of leaves.

Grilling fresh tomatoes concentrates their flavor, making them super delicious in this Bloody Mary mix.

Perfecting this recipe required a mother-daughter collaboration. My mom started it off by cutting the kernels off the cobs, simmering the corncobs in the stock, and then scraping the cobs to capture every ounce of delicious corn flavor. Her friend Darryle Pollack taught her the trick of including potatoes and blending part of the soup to thicken it. I added warming spices like paprika and cayenne pepper to complement the sweetness of the summer corn and topped it with charred red bell peppers. Together we created a perfect soup. —Marea

An herbaceous, refreshing—and alcoholic—take on Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray soda.

Editor's Note: Use this stock to make Neven Maguire's Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup

When it comes to cooking, we like things to be quick and easy—as long as flavor is not sacrificed. However, when it comes to soup, we realize that an extra few minutes of prep work make a real difference in the richness and quality of a recipe. Quickly sautéing vegetables before adding them to the slow cooker scales back their acidity and firmness. Allowing them to then simmer in the slow cooker for hours allows all of the ingredients to meld. It's the perfect formula for a successful soup!

This juice is a real energy boost, and it's great when you need a pick-me-up or when you need to fuel a workout. The fruit provides energy, while the beet increases endurance, and the celery and fennel push out toxins.

This robust, vibrant-color juice is packed with big flavors and energy-boosting nutrients to get you going in the morning.

Fresh celery lightens this guacamole and adds some serious crunch.

A virtuous, herby grain salad with a heart of indulgent butterfat. We love the white-on-white effect of using barley, but it's delicious with basically any whole grain; try wheat berries or spelt.

This recipe is ripe for reinvention; use different breads and add-ins to vary the flavor.

This sammie-side combo fulfills all your midday-meal needs.

Sweet from dates, sour from lemon, bitter from celery, and salty from Parmesan, this humble salad manages to get all taste buds firing at once.

This is the baked terrine I like to make for Sunday lunch, served with all the traditional trimmings of roast vegetables, steamed greens, and Yorkshire puddings . Leftovers can be reheated and served midweek with gravy, steamed green beans, and a generous spoonful of horseradish on the side.

Benefits: Anti-Inflammation + Metabolism + Cleansing As the name would suggest, this soup is perfect to eat in the spring, just when your body is most naturally poised for cleansing. This soup, traditionally eaten in China as a springtime ritual, has natural detoxifying properties, mainly deriving from the watercress. Watercress has natural diuretic properties that help you release excess fluids, which often contain toxins and waste products. Of course, feel free to eat this soup for cleansing any time of year!

Editor's Note: This recipe goes with Daniel Humm and Will Guidara's Manhattan Clam Chowder .

Don't bother peeling the onions; their skins add a nice, rich brown color to this vegetable stock. If you'd like, remove the skins for use in dishes when a lighter color is preferred, such as in risotto or cream sauces.