Curried Coconut Soup with Lemongrass MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 40 minutes A Thai-style soup that becomes quite substantial when you add fried tofu (or try Crunchy Crumbled Tempeh). This soup is also wonderful with a couple of spoonfuls of Steamed Sticky Rice or a cup or...
Creamy Watercress, Spinach, or Sorrel Soup MAKES: 4 servings TIME: About 30 minutes Watercress is among my favorite greens; I find its assertively peppery, herbaceous flavor irresistible. Using it as a soup base tames its spiciness somewhat but without sublimating its...
Creamy Cauliflower (or Broccoli) Soup MAKES: 4 servings TIME: About 30 minutes Creamy cauliflower soup is simple and comforting; I like to make a double batch in the winter and have it ready to go in the refrigerator, since its mild, uncomplicated flavor makes it a...
Creamy Carrot Soup MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 45 minutes This classic French soup can be varied in several ways and can also be produced in a completely different fashion, as in the Glazed Carrot Soup and the Thai version at right. Pure carrot soup is thick and smooth...
Cream of Parsley Soup MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 30 minutes This brings the green, fresh taste of parsley to soup. Be sure to wash the parsley very, very well (use a salad spinner, repeatedly, until the water is perfectly clear): The tiniest bit of sand can ruin your...
Corn Chowder MAKES: 4 servings TIME: About 1 hour This chowder celebrates the bounty of a single summertime crop—corn. And since you will probably make it only once or twice a year, I would opt for the richer half-and-half option, though the leaner version has a...
Cool Yogurt Soup with Nuts MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 4 hours, largely unattended There is nothing easier than turning a couple cups of yogurt, some herbs, and a handful of cut-up vegetables—or fruit, for that matter—into a quick chilled soup, but this is a little...
Cold Cucumber and Seaweed Soup MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 20 minutes Japanese and Koreans make good use of both cucumbers and seaweed, and this is an example of how the two combine with their love of cold soups. Add a little shredded daikon or thinly sliced red radish...
Classic Lentil Soup MAKES: 4 servings TIME: About 1 hour This recipe is about as easy as cooking can be, especially for a dish so filling and nutritious. Unlike the overly thick versions that put so many people off, this lentil soup is nicely balanced. 1 cup dried...
Chile Bisque MAKES: 4 servings TIME: About 11/2 hours, largely unattended This is one of those pure and simple soups flavored by a single ingredient. Well, almost. The only other things between you and the complex taste of mild dried chile are a touch of garlic and a...
Chickpea Soup with Saffron and Almonds MAKES: 4 servings TIME: At least 2 hours (much less with cooked or canned chickpeas) The combination of chickpeas, almonds, and saffron is found throughout the Mediterranean, but especially in Spain. Both intense flavor and a...
Cauliflower Soup, Italian Style MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 40 minutes This is how many people cook vegetables in Italy, a technique that can then turn the vegetable into a soup or pasta sauce in a sec. Garlic, pepper, and oil are the distinguishing characteristics, and...