Roasted Tomato Soup

3 pounds plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large or 4 small cloves garlic, unpeeled

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried

1/4 teaspoon (or more to taste) dried crushed red pepper

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap garlic cloves in a tight foil packet. Place tomatoes, cut side up, on large baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper (I used 1 full teaspoon of Kosher salt). Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil. Add foil packet of garlic to tray. Roast until tomatoes are brown and tender (garlic will be very tender), about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

Unwrap garlic packet and peel cloves. Transfer cloves, tomatoes and any accumulated juices to a blender or food processor and pulse machine on and off until tomatoes are a chunky puree. Transfer tomatoes to medium pot and add thyme, crushed red pepper and stock and bring to a boil Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and adjust seasonings to taste.

Egg Noodles with Soy Broth

Egg Noodles with Soy Broth
Serves 4

Salt
1/3 cup soy sauce, more to taste
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, more to taste
A few drops dark sesame oil
A squirt of sriracha or other Asian chile-garlic sauce
1 pound egg noodles, preferably fresh (I used 9 ounces of fresh angel hair pasta)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. In a smaller pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil; once boiling, reduce heat so water bubbles gently.

2. To the smaller pot add soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, sesame oil if using and sriracha or chili, along with a pinch of salt. Stir and let simmer.

3. Add egg noodles to large pot; fresh noodles will be ready in just a couple of minutes; dried will take longer. When tender but not mushy, drain. Taste broth and add more soy, salt, vinegar or heat as you like. Divide noodles into bowls and pour hot broth over all.

Vegetable Chowder

Serves 8
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
2 medium red bell peppers, seeds and ribs removed, diced (2 1/2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups milk
4 medium baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
8 ears corn, kernels removed (about 4 cups)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed, broken into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
Hot pepper sauce, for serving (optional)

Directions
In a Dutch oven or 5-quart pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and thyme; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add milk, potatoes, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until potatoes are almost tender, about 8 minutes.

Stir in corn, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer until corn is tender, about 3 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, transfer 3 cups of the solids to a blender; puree until smooth. Return to pot; add green beans. Bring to a simmer; cook until beans are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Season again with salt; serve with hot pepper sauce, if desired.

Asian Dumpling Soup

Ingredients
Serves 4
4 scallions, white and green parts only, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup peeled and slivered fresh ginger
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps halved and thinly sliced
1 package (15 ounces) frozen stuffed dumplings
1 can (15 ounces) baby corn, drained (1 2/3 cups)
2 bunches watercress, stems trimmed (4 cups)

Directions
In a medium saucepan, combine scallions, garlic, ginger, and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil and cook, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Add chicken broth and mushrooms, cook until the mushrooms begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
Add dumplings and baby corn; boil until dumplings are tender, about 4 minutes. Add watercress, stir until wilted, about 30 seconds. Spoon into bowls, and serve immediately.

Modern Chicken Noodle Soup

MAKE-YOUR-OWN CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
Prep time: 15 min | Cooking time: 10 min | Serves: 4

For the Soup:
3 cups chicken stock
1-inch stub of fresh ginger
3 large cloves of garlic, slit halfway through the middle
1 stalk of lemon grass, cut into 2-inch pieces and pounded lightly to release oils
3-4 kaffir lime leaves
2 large fresh red chillies, slit halfway through the middle

For the Chicken:
1 chicken breast, sliced thinly into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp Soy sauce
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp pure sesame oil

2 cups boiled rice vermicelli noodles
salt & pepper, to taste

For Garnishing:
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup diced extra-firm tofu, light sauteed in a bit of oil
1 cup snow peas, sliced at an angle
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped
1-2 large red chillies, finely chopped
a couple of wedges of fresh lime
hot sauce

Put all the ingredients for the soup into a large pot and let simmer on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Mix chicken with Soy, white pepper, garlic powder and sesame oil, and saute in a non-stick pan till done.

To serve, divide boiled vermicelli noodles in large bowls, ladle with warm soup, and top with chicken and choice of garnish.

Beef, Leek and Barley Soup

Beef, Leek and Barley Soup
Adapted from Laurie Colwin’s Home Cooking

1. Trim two big, meaty short ribs and put them on the bottom of your soup pot.

2. Add 1/2 cup of barley, three big cloves of garlic shopped up, two chopped onions, and three leeks cut lengthwise and then into segments–use both the white and the green parts. You can also add mushrooms and any other vegetables you might like. Grind in a little black pepper.

3. Add about eight cups of filtered water or beef stock and let it simmer on the back burner for at least three hours while you go about your business. You can also add lima beans, cube potatoes, peas, corn, string beans and chopped tomatoes at any point, or the second day, should you have any leftover.

4. Before serving, skim off the fat–there will be a bit, as short ribs are quite fatty–take the meat off the bones, chop it and put it back in the soup.