Kombu Dashi MAKES: about 2 quarts TIME: 15 minutes Dashi is the building block of Japanese cuisine and usually flavored with dried bonito (a tunalike fish). But this variation is just as traditional. It may have roots in Japan’s Buddhist vegetarian tradition, but I...
Kimchi Soup with Tofu MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 25 minutes If you’re the type of person who gets wildly overambitious at Asian markets, loading up your cart with more kimchi, Korean chile paste, and miso than the average Korean family goes through in a month, this...
Jook MAKES: 4 servings TIME: about 21/2 hours Jook—also called congee or rice gruel—is a Chinese “porridge” (it’s thinner than most), a breakfast item that’s also terrific served as a soup in the afternoon or evening. It is truly astonishing how much...
Green Tea Broth with Udon Noodles MAKES: 4 first-course or 2 lunch servings TIME: 15 minutes In Japan, one often eats udon noodles with the liquid they were cooked in to enjoy both the flavor and the nutrition left behind by the noodles. Sometimes the starting point...
Glazed Carrot Soup MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 45 minutes You can glaze any vegetable that’s starchy and sweet enough to convert a little cooking liquid into a syrupy coating, and nothing works better than carrots. Other root vegetables, like turnips, parsnips,...
Gazpacho MAKES: 4 servings TIME: About 20 minutes No one can definitively say what gazpacho is—you see it with grapes, with almonds, even with melon. This basic recipe is what you probably expect when you hear the word gazpacho, but, as the variations show, you can...
Garlic Fideo Soup MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 30 minutes Browned noodles are a real treat; one classic example is Garlicky Vermicelli or Fideo, the paellalike dish where broken strands of thin noodles are panfried before liquid and the other ingredients are added. Here I...
Faux Pho MAKES: 4 appetizer or 2 lunch servings TIME: About 1 hour, depending on garnishes The Vietnamese meal-in-a-bowl soup known as pho is always tricky for vegetarians because fish and meat are normally included, and prominently. But there are vegetarian options,...
Farro Soup MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 11/2 hours or more, largely unattended Farro is an ancient grain, a form of wheat that has enjoyed a popular revival in the last couple of decades thanks to our quest for “new” ingredients and the popularity of classic regional...
Egg Noodle Soup with Mushrooms MAKES: 4 servings TIME: About 45 minutes The noodles in this soup are made entirely of beaten eggs, which are cooked in a thin layer just until set (you can do this ahead of time or while the soup is simmering). Once the sheet of egg...
