Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium leeks, white part only, finely chopped
• 5 large ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped, about 2 1/2 pounds
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 1/2 cups corn kernels (about 4 ears), cobs reserved and cut in half
• 8 fresh basil leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
• 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 3 cups chicken broth or stock
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup croutons
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes; cook until slightly softened, 3 minutes. Add the flour; stir until flour dissolves. Cook 2 more minutes.
2. Add the corn kernels, basil leaves, tomato paste, chicken stock and corncobs. Heat to a simmer; cook, partially covered, 25 minutes. Remove the corncobs and discard.
3. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or food processor. Pour the soup through a fine mesh strainer into a large container. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cool to room temperature; refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve, garnished with croutons, a dollop of sour cream and a basil sprig.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup canned Italian plum tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into 1/2-inch by 2-inch strips
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Topping:

• 4 corn tortillas, preferably stale or at least dry, halved crosswise and sliced into thin strips
• 1 dried chili (such as pasilla), stemmed, seeded, and seeds squeezed out through the top
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Instructions

1. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic cloves and chopped cilantro, and saute until golden brown, making sure the mixture does not burn, for about 10 minutes.
2. In a blender or a food processor, combine the vegetables from the pan with the drained tomatoes and blend until smooth.
3. In the same frying pan heat, over medium-high heat, warm the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the tomato-vegetable mixture and cumin. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened and darkened, about 5 to 6 minutes.
4. Transfer the mixture into a large saucepan, and add the chicken stock. Simmer, partially covered, over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally or until it is slightly thickened. Add the chicken slices and simmer for another 2-3 minutes or until just cooked through. Taste for seasoning.
5. While the soup is cooking, prepare the toppings: To toast the tortilla strips and chili: Heat the oven to 400 F. Place the tortilla strips and the dried chili on a baking sheet, spread them evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until crisp and beginning to brown. (Don’t let the chili burn). Let the chili cool and then crumble and set aside. Reserve for the garnish.

To Serve

Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Divide the tortilla strips, crumbled chili, cilantro, avocado, cheese and lime juice evenly among each bowl. Serve immediately.

Tips

• Try to find fresh, handmade tortillas for a more authentic flavor. Cut them as below and dry them out by leaving them on the counter for an hour before cooking.
• The tortillas are toasted here to avoid using extra fat. If you wish, you can fry the tortilla strips in vegetable oil for a richer result. To fry the tortillas heat about 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a medium skillet on medium-high heat. Drop a tortilla strip in the oil and see if it begins to fry. If so, drop handfuls of tortilla strips in the oil and fry, turning with tongs, until crisp and brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
• For the cheese, select the traditional queso fresco or shredded Monterey Jack. For an extra kick, try Manchego, with its slightly nutty flavor, or Cotija, a dried, sharp, aged cheese similar to Pecorino Romano, sometimes called “The Parmesan of Mexico.”
• To make this vegetarian: Substitute vegetable stock for chicken stock, omit the chicken and add some chopped carrots and zucchini to the soup.
• Choose a dried chili that will add the right amount of heat for you. If you want extra heat, try a chipotle or ancho chile.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 leeks, cleaned light green part and white part, finely chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 4 medium zucchini, sliced
• 3 medium (about 1 pound) white Rose potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup cooked, drained and rinsed garbanzo beans
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, for garnish
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon zest, for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the leek and saute for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add the carrots, zucchini and potatoes and saute for about 3 more minutes or until mixed well and beginning to soften.
2. Add the tomato paste and chicken stock and simmer, partially covered for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the garbanzo beans and cook another 3 minutes or until heated through. Add the salt and pepper.
3. Process the soup with a hand blender in the soup pot until pureed. Add the parsley and taste for seasoning.
4. To serve: Ladle the soup into shallow soup bowls and garnish with the parsley and lemon rind.

Tips

To dress this up consider adding a dollop of Basil pesto or Sun-dried tomato pesto to the herb garnish. Cheese croutons would also be a good accompaniment.

Serves 4-6 people.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 leeks, white part only, cleaned and finely chopped
• 1 pound peeled and diced butternut squash
• 1 (7 or 8) ounce bottle roasted or steamed chestnuts
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Chipotle Cream

• 1 teaspoon chipotle puree or 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream salt and white pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives, for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leeks and sauté for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the squash and chestnuts and cook 3 more minutes or until nicely coated. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add the stock, syrup, salt and pepper, and mix together. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low and, cover and simmer over medium heat for 20-25 minutes, or until the chestnuts are tender. Add the lemon juice.
2. Meanwhile make the chipotle cream: combine the chipotle puree with creme fraiche in a small bowl and mix to combine. Season with salt and taste for seasoning. Reserve.
3. Puree the soup in the pan with a hand blender or in a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade. Return the soup to the pot if necessary. Taste for seasoning.
4. To serve, ladle the soup into heated bowls, swirl in a tablespoon of chipotle cream and garnish with chopped chives.

Advance Preparation

May be prepared up to 3 days in advance, covered and refrigerated. Reheat gently. This soup also freezes well. Adjust the seasonings when you reheat the frozen soup.

Serves 4-6 people.

Ingredients

• 6 medium beets, cleaned and trimmed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 pounds stewing beef, cut into bite-size pieces, about 1½-inches
• 2 medium leeks, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 16 ounce can diced tomatoes, well drained
• 1 medium head green cabbage, coarsely shredded
• 10 cups water
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 6 sprigs fresh dill weed
• 5 tablespoons good quality red wine vinegar
• ⅓ cup brown sugar +1 tablespoon
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup sour cream, for garnish
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill weed, for garnish

Instructions

1. Place the beets in a large saucepan and cover with an inch of water. Place over medium heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until fork tender. Remove the beets from the pan, reserving 2 cups of the beet juice and place them in a colander. Run under cold running water and peel. Cut the beets into ¾ inch pieces and reserve.
2. In a large soup pot heat 2 tablespoons of the oil on medium-high heat. Brown the meat in batches, making sure not to crowd the meat, for about 5-7 minutes for each batch. Reserve the beef.
3. Add the remaining oil and saute the leeks and carrots for about 5-7 minutes or until nicely softened and lightly browned.
4. Add the 2 cups of the beet juice, reserved beef, tomatoes, cabbage, water, tomato paste and dill weed to the vegetables making sure to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer, partially covered, over medium heat and cook for 1½ hours or until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork.
5. Add the reserved beets, vinegar, brown sugar, salt, and pepper and simmer 5 more minutes. Taste for seasoning. You may need to adjust the sweet and sour flavoring to your taste.
6. To serve: Ladle borscht into deep soup bowls and garnish with sour cream and a sprig of dill weed.

Tips

To avoid red hands and stained cutting boards, use kitchen gloves and place a piece of plastic wrap or foil on the cutting  board. If you find beet stains on your cutting board, use a little bleach cleanser and the stains will come out.

Serve it with big chunks of warm country bread and soft butter.  You can also steam little potatoes and add them to the soup at the last minute.

Serves 8 to 10 people.

Ingredients

• 5 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes (about 6 medium)
• 3 cups tomato-based vegetable juice
• 2¼ cups chopped English hothouse cucumber (from 1 large), divided
• 1 cup chopped red onion (about 1 small), divided
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil plus additional for garnish
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 small garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 to 2 teaspoons anchovy paste, or to taste
• Purchased croutons (optional; for garnish)

Instructions

1. Working in 2 batches, puree chopped tomatoes, vegetable juice, 1¼ cups chopped cucumber, ½ cup chopped red onion, extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons chopped basil, red wine vinegar, mayonnaise, garlic, and anchovy paste in blender until smooth. Transfer to bowl. Season gazpacho to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
2. Stir remaining 1 cup chopped cucumber and ½ cup chopped red onion into gazpacho. Refrigerate 2 hours.
3. Divide gazpacho evenly among bowls. Garnish with chopped basil and Parmesan croutons, if desired.

Serves 4 to 6 people.