Tortilla Soup

Recipe by Dianna Kennedy's The Tortilla Book

2 medium tomatoes, broiled or 1 1/2 cups canned, drained
1/3 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon peanut or safflower oil
6 cups chicken broth
12 tortillas, cut into strips
3 chiles pasillas, fried and crumbled
6 heaping tablespoons of cheese (queso Chihuahua)
2 springs epazote (if available), fresh or dried

Blend the tomatoes with the onion and garlic. Heat the oil and fry the tomato puree over a fairly high flame for about 3 minutes, stirring it all the time. Add the broth, adjust the seasoning, and simmer for about 5 minutes longer. Remove and keep warm.

Heat more oil and fry the tortilla strips, about one third at a time so that they are fried evenly, until they are just beginning to stiffen but are not brown. Drain well.

Add  the tortilla pieces and epazote to the broth and simmer for about 5 minutes, the tortillas should be soft but not falling apart.

Garnish each bowl of soup with some of the cheese and a sprinkling of the chiles.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe from Sur la Table

1 (3-pound) butternut squash
3 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil
1½ tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large Fuji or golden delicious apple, cored, peeled, and chopped
½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
5 cups chicken stock or top-quality chicken broth
1 cup canned pumpkin purée (unseasoned)
2 tbsp finely grated orange zest
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tbsp light or dark brown sugar
½ tsp freshly ground or grated nutmeg
¼ tsp ground mace
1 cup whole milk or half-and-half
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
Coarse sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Cut the squash in half, then cut each half in quarters. Scoop out and discard the seeds and pulp. Rub the squash pieces with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and set on a roasting pan, cut side up. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt. Roast, turning the pieces several times, for about 1 hour, until the squash is easily pierced with a fork. Allow the squash to cool, then scoop the tender flesh from the skins. Set aside.

Heat the butter with 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the apple and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until partly tender but not browned. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes longer, until the onion is tender.

Stir in 2 cups of the chicken stock and simmer until the apple is fully tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin, orange zest, orange juice, brown sugar, nutmeg, mace and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Add the remaining 3 cups stock and simmer for 15 minutes.

Dice enough of the roasted squash to make 1½ cups and set aside. Coarsely chop the remaining squash and add to the soup. Cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Add the milk and simmer 5 minutes longer. Allow to cool slightly. Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender or food processor until very smooth, returning the soup to the pot. Gently reheat the soup over medium-low heat.

Just before serving, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and toast, stirring often, for 1 to 2 minutes, until crisp and lightly browned (be careful, the seeds may pop out of the pan). Spoon the seeds onto a small plate to avoid burning.

Heat the reserved diced squash in a microwave for 30 seconds or warm in a small saucepan with 1 cup of the soup over medium-low heat. Spoon the diced squash into warmed soup bowls and ladle the hot soup over. Top each bowl with toasted pumpkin seeds and a few grains of sea salt.

Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup

Recipe from Ina Garten for the Food Network

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions)
2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
Croutons, for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.

Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that's left. Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves and/or croutons.

Carrot-Parsnip Soup With Parsnip Chips

Recipe from "Cooking Light Way to Cook Vegetarian" for The New York Times

Winter root vegetables lend their complementary, slightly sweet flavors to this hearty bowl. Stir in more water or broth if you prefer a thinner consistency.

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
3 cups coarsely chopped parsnip (about 1 pound)
3 cups water
2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped carrot (about 1 pound)
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup parsnip, cut into 1/8 inch slices
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add chopped parsnip, water, carrot and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 50 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.

Place half of carrot mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed carrot mixture in a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining carrot mixture. Stir in salt and pepper.

Heat remaining 5 teaspoons oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add parsnip slices; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned, turning occasionally. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle parsnip chips and chives over soup.

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition information per serving (serving size: 1 1/3 cups soup, about 2 teaspoons parsnip chips and 1/2 teaspoon chives): calories: 159 (28 percent from fat); fat: 4.9 grams (saturated 0.7 grams, monounsaturated 3.4 grams, polyunsaturated 0.6 grams); iron: 0.8 milligrams; cholesterol 0 milligrams; calcium: 61 milligrams; carbohydrate: 26.4 grams; sodium: 388 milligrams; protein: 3.7 grams; fiber: 6.4 grams.