Starter

This cheerfully colored soup brings you a hint of sweetness and the pleasant crunch of turnips. Once you’ve got the squash baked, the rest is a snap.

Make this soup a few hours ahead of time, if you can. The unusual combination of flavors benefits from having time to blend. You can use butternut squash instead of pumpkin, if you prefer.

This warming soup tempts the eye with an appealing golden color, and pleases the palate with the delectable flavor of sweet potatoes.

Though beet borscht is generally eaten cold, the addition of potatoes creates a more robust version for fall or winter. Onion-Rye Scones (page 155) complement this soup well. Unless you are fond of hand grating, using a food processor makes the job much easier.

Onions, garlic, winter squash, and silken tofu are all enveloped in the familiar flavor of potatoes, making this a wonderful vehicle for getting a lot of nourishing ingredients into younger (or fussier) soup eaters.

Baked tofu is an excellent stand-in for clams in this classic American soup. I like to use mild-flavored Soy Boy Tofu Lin for this recipe, but you may use whatever brand or flavor you prefer.

Though this soup is low in fat, the buttery flavor of Yukon Gold potatoes makes it taste rich and luscious. Roasted garlic and red peppers add a deep, smoky flavor.

Here’s a great soup to make in the early fall, while fresh corn and tomatoes are still available.

Ceramic crocks with handles are the ideal bowls for this soup, but any type of ovenproof bowl will do. You’ll cry a river while cutting the onions, but you and your family or guests will weep tears of joy while eating this heavenly soup.

A super-smooth, pale puree with a colorful garnish, this soup exudes both comfort and elegance. If you can, use the big, pure white onions that are abundant in the fall.

Like miso broth, dashi is another traditional Japanese stock that may be embellished in a number of ways, or eaten as is. It also makes a good base for certain Asian vegetable soups. Look for the sea vegetable kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms in Asian groceries or in natural food stores.

Some traditional Southern cooks swear you have to cook your collards all day long. This recipe has a great silky, tender texture and good bacony flavor, but you don’t have to quit your day job to make it. Collards also pair well with Double Orange Pork Chops (page 24) and Down-Home Pinto Beans and Ham Hocks (page 127).

Cheese, peppers, bacon, grill . . . This is a winning combo that will steal the fire from anything else you have going on. Well, except maybe the Super Bowl, which it will make just that much better. Serve it anytime you’ve got a group of buddies coming over, which, for Bobby, is nearly every night. We love these with our ultimate rib steak and also with All-Day Beef Chili (page 122).

Some dishes are all about the garnishes. Or maybe some families like to do it up. Either way, when we bake a potato, we don’t settle for a pat of butter. The fixin’s are the fun part! We’ve made up a whole list of optional baked potato toppings, but, for us, the Vidalia onions are nonnegotiable. These crunchy and sweet onions are a Southern favorite and, although they’re grown only in Georgia, they’re still available in many supermarkets nationwide. If you can’t get Vidalias, other sweet onions like Walla Wallas or Texas sweets taste just as good. These taters go great with all kind of mains. Two of our other favorites are All-Day Beef Chili (page 122) and Southern-Style Turkey, Tomato, and Monterey Jack Bake (page 48).

Macaroni salad is all over the South. This is our refreshing Italian-inspired take on the usual mayonnaise-based kind. You can toss in leftover grilled chicken for a main-course salad. Kids tend to love macaroni, so we leave out the herbs when we know we’re feeding someone who isn’t a fan of “green bits.” Try it next time you serve up Chicken Nuggets with Honey-Lemon Dipping Sauce (page 159) or our Saucy Tilapia with Tomatoes and Capers (page 56).

Who doesn’t love this combo? You can pay twenty bucks to eat it all nicely stacked up at a five-star restaurant, or you can make it at home for a lot less, and it’ll be just as good. Try it with any Italian-accented dish, like Braised Chicken with Peppers and Mushrooms (page 129) or Creamy, Spicy Sausage Pasta (page 105).

Potato salad always brings back good memories for us. Our dad would make it, and just as soon as the warm potatoes were tossed with the dressing, we’d all dig in. Try serving it with Roasted Spicy Mayo Chicken Breasts (page 43).