Soup/Stew

Complete the menu with a tomato and red onion salad, sourdough bread, and poached pears (or canned) with raspberry sauce.

This recipe was inspired by a dish that a group of our food editors enjoyed at Chez Maître Paul, a Paris bistro. As the name suggests, poulet à la fermière contains a farmwife's bounty—chicken, cheese, vegetables, and herbs.

The gazpacho needs to be started a day ahead, so be sure to plan accordingly.

A dollop of yogurt adds a creamy richness and cuts the heat of the chiles.

Serve with: A green salad and crusty bread.

Poblano and jalapeño chiles, tomatillos, and cilantro account for the recipe's title. Serve with: Mexican beer, warm tortillas, green salad, and lemon sorbet.

Jewish chicken soup is usually served with thin egg noodles or with matzah balls. The zucchini is my, not MGM's addition.

Strong beef broth and garlic, not sugar, make a true Ukrainian borscht delicious. Fresh root vegetables and roasted beets provide plenty of sweetness which is balanced by an acid edge of lemon.

Although bisques tend to be thick and creamy, the following intensely flavorful version is light, with very little cream added.

Here is an almost effortless soup. Everything goes into the pot at once, and the finished dish is just the thing on a cold winter day.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

There's a lot of liquid here, so be sure to use a very large pot to prepare the stew.

This is a fine dish for a cold day, and one that cries for ice-cold akvavit and beer. So popular is this soup with all the Nordics that it is said that the King of Sweden eats it every Thursday.

A fine version of a hearty classic.

(Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Olives)

This soup, known as congee or jook, is found in one form or another in many Asian countries and is eaten at all times of day. At breakfast plain congee is the norm, served with a variety of strongly flavored accompaniments — such as pickled turnips, salted fish, and peanuts — to awaken the palate. We love the flavor and color the pumpkin gives the soup. Those who like oatmeal for breakfast might enjoy this with just a touch of sugar; or leave it plain and top it with the recommended accompaniments.

This is the soup everyone enjoyed in Louviers for Carnaval. Quick to make, deliciously satisfying and alluring, you will find it hits the spot on a cool late winter to spring evening.

Cool and refreshing yogurt enhanced with fresh mint, cilantro and basil tops this hearty curry-flavored soup.