Soup/Stew

What the New Sammy's menu describes as a broth is really a purée. The dish is somewhat monochromatic, but its fascinating flavor spectrum will make your mouth extremely happy.

Chicory, a bitter leaf most commonly used in salads, mellows as it cooks.

The classic cold soup, as interpreted by Ouro Branco restaurant, Vila Viçosa, Portugal.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Dill is the secret seasoning in this hearty stew. Serve it with lots of bread.

Serve this terrific dish with crusty bread and soup spoons so that your guests can enjoy every last drop.

Gah Yan Tsui writes, via gourmet.com: "I recently enjoyed a delicious lunch at Aquavit in New York City. Marcus Samuelsson makes an incredible mussel and carrot soup. Would it be possible to acquire the recipe?" This soup tastes much better when made with fresh carrot juice. If you don't have a juicer, you can get some at your nearest natural foods store. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 45 min

During hard times, luxury cuts like steaks and chops give way to humbler ones. None are humbler than the oxtail, and all across the country, depression-era cooks made much of it, frequently in soup. Even in these days, when humble cuts have become restaurant menu stars, soup is still a good way to go with oxtails. Simmering them slowly with garlic and vegetables in red wine yields a rich broth and tender, succulent meat, making a lavish feast for us all.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Stifado, a hearty Greek stew, can be made with almost any kind of meat, though beef is most common. Here we use lamb. It always involves either red wine or red-wine vinegar or both, herbs, and copious quantities of small whole onions.

The bouquet garni for this stew includes orange peel (use a vegetable peeler to make wide strips) and some of the wispy fronds from the top of the fennel bulb that goes into the soup.

Becky Johnson of Nonesuch, Kentucky, asks, "Can you request the recipe for the tomato soup with garlic croutons from Gramercy Tavern in Manhattan? It’s a delicious reminder of a lunch I had there with friends."