Soup/Stew

FLAVOR BOOSTER Fennel, tomato, and wine are common ingredients in Mediterranean cooking; in this recipe, they make a wonderful bed for chicken breast halves. Once the chicken is cooked through, the vegetables become a flavorful sauce to serve alongside.

FLAVOR BOOSTER Chicken thighs and drumsticks are not as lean as breast meat, but they have great flavor and stay juicy when cooked by long and slow methods such as braising. Here, they are braised in an oil-free liquid seasoned with soy sauce, brown sugar, fresh ginger, garlic, cilantro, balsamic vinegar, scallions, and ground spices.

WHY IT’S LIGHT Because lots of Indian food entrees use high-fat ghee (clarified butter) or coconut milk as the cooking liquid, they can contain more fat and calories than you might think. For this vegetarian curry, chickpeas and spices are simmered simply in water, yet the results are still delicious. Serve with rice or warm whole-wheat pitas.

GOOD TO KNOW Puréed vegetables give soup the same sort of velvety consistency that cream does. Vegetables like sweet potatoes, because of their starch content, also lend body to soups and stews.

WHY IT’S LIGHT Traditional split-pea soup is often made with ham or bacon; this version is completely meat-free, relying on a combination of vegetables, garlic, and dried thyme for flavor. It also uses water, not broth, as the base.

GOOD TO KNOW Using poached chicken keeps this Asian-style soup on the more delicate side; with this method of cooking, you get tender and moist meat as well as a tasty broth, which you can use in a variety of dishes.

WHY IT’S LIGHT For beefy taste without excess fat, use ground sirloin instead of chuck. This chili is also bulked up with extra portions of beans and tomatoes. Briefly cooking the cocoa, chili powder, and tomato paste before adding the beef helps intensify their flavors.

WHY IT’S LIGHT This leaner take on a classic soup includes meatballs made with ground turkey instead of beef for less fat and fewer calories. To ensure the meatballs are juicy and flavorful, use dark-meat turkey with at least seven percent fat.

This is a spicy and aromatic stew of chickpeas and tender vegetables. It is delicious served with pita bread, Buttered Couscous (page 79) or Saffron Rice (page 62), and spicy harissa sauce.

This is Jean-Pierre’s simple and adaptable fish soup, which is a satisfying and economical way to cook and enjoy a whole fish. First fillet the fish, and then make a stock with the bones, vegetables, and herbs. Strain the stock and gently poach the fillets in it, then serve with croutons and pungent garlicky mayonnaise.

I make this soup year-round with fresh shell beans in the summer and fall, and with dried beans in the winter. The other vegetables in the soup vary with the season. It can be put together quickly if the beans are already cooked.

Charlie makes this refreshing soup when tomatoes are at their peak of ripeness and flavor. The same method can be applied to extract flavor from other watery vegetables and fruits, such as cucumber and watermelon.

French green lentils are plump and speckled dark green. They are very flavorful, hold their shape when cooked, and are good for making salads and soups. For this rustic lentil soup, the lentils are cooked until they are tender and can be easily mashed—longer than they would be for a salad. The yogurt garnish brightens the earthy flavor of the rosemary and lentils.

This is a good soup to make in the fall months when mature leeks are at their flavorful peak and are plentiful in the markets. It is a traditional French soup that is typically puréed, but I prefer it with a clear chicken broth and sliced vegetables.

This is the soup I always make when I want something comforting and restorative. This method easily becomes second-nature and is good for all kinds of seasonal vegetable soups: Soften the vegetables in oil or butter, add stock, and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Flavor with herbs, and, for a more substantial soup, add cooked pasta, beans, or, as in this recipe, chicken. Brothy vegetable soups are even better with a plate of garlic croutons (see page 37) to dip in the soup.

Not only is homemade stock easy to make and economical, but it also tastes better than any you can buy. I always like to have a quart of fresh stock on hand—or in the freezer—because then I know I have the makings of many a meal, notably a soup of seasonal vegetables. A whole chicken makes the most flavorful stock; otherwise, the meatier the chicken parts you use, the better. Sometimes I cut off the breasts of a chicken to save for another meal, and make stock with the rest of the bird. Whenever you roast a chicken, freeze the carcass to save for making stock; add it along with the other chicken parts.

This is more than a soup; it is a generous meal fit for a gathering, and it has everything I love about food and flavor. I learned to make it from my French “mother,” Lulu. It’s one of the longest recipes in the book, but taken in parts it is not hard to make. I think of it as several steps: first make a fish stock, then prepare the fish and shellfish; make the rouille (garlic mayonnaise flavored with pepper purée); make the soup base with vegetables and the fish stock; toast garlic croutons; and finally put it all together, cooking the fish and shellfish in the deeply flavored soup base, and serve it with rouille and croutons to pass at the table.

Bourride is another Provençal fish soup, this one thickened with garlic mayonnaise. The broth is smooth, luxurious, and redolent of garlic.

This is not a particularly traditional version of this recipe, but if you have ripe delicious tomatoes, it makes a beautiful piquant summer soup—a sort of liquid salad—that’s worth all the grating, pounding, and dicing. For a light summer meal, add a few shrimp—or other fish or shellfish—to the soup.