Soup/Stew

This venerable cold-weather dish has never looked so pretty or tasted so good. Partner it with a tossed green salad and French bread. Uncork a dry red wine.

This is Paul Bocuse's famous thick pumpkin soup, from France, served inside the pumpkin shell.

This is a lighter, first-course version of a classic Pennsylvania main-course soup. Saffron was initially a Colonial rich man's spice, and it retained a certain panache even for the Pennsylvania Dutch in Philadelphia, who grew their own.

"Many of the everyday dishes I made when I was raising my daughters are recipes I learned from my mother while I was growing up in the suburbs of Paris," writes Fanny Carroll of Eugene, Oregon. "She was quite a cook, and with a husband and seven kids to feed, everything had to be fast. It's nice that the dishes I learned as a girl are enduring favorites in my own family. I still make the carrot and rice soup for my daughter Eileen." A colorful soup that's smooth and rich.

Using shrimp instead of chicken in this recipe makes for an equally delicious soup.

This dish uses three vegetable-bin staples: onions, celery, and carrots. If you don't have any canned broth on hand, dissolve a bouillon cube in water.

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

This is a delicate, light-tasting soup.