Tomato

Bulgur is not often used in soups, but works very nicely, adding protein and a chewy texture.

This classic recipe is easy and quick to prepare. Serve with Tomato-Olive Bread (page 147) and a simple homemade coleslaw.

Here’s another soothing, mild soup for cold weather. This is delicious with Garlic Croutons (page 159).

The sweetness of baby carrots and a pretty, pale-orange color make this an uplifting dish for a chilly winter day.

Both soothing and lively, thanks to the flavor of dill, this simple soup is one of my cold-weather favorites.

Filling and flavorful, this becomes a meal in itself when served with a robust bread such as Focaccia Bread (page 148). It keeps exceptionally well and develops flavor as it stands.

Gnocchi are dumplings made of semolina and potato flours. They add substance to this flavor-ful stew. At many supermarkets, you’ll find them in the frozen food section near ravioli, tortellini, and other such Italian specialties. Serve with Bruschetta (page 159) and a green salad featuring olives and chickpeas.

Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients here. It’s an easy soup to make, doesn’t take long to cook, and is full of exciting textures and flavors. Thanks to Neil Trager, who gave me this recipe many moons ago.

This colorful stew is an autumnal cousin to chili, using Native American ingredients. It’s a good dish to try out on older kids and teens who have begun to appreciate more complex combinations of flavors and ingredients.

This soup (called harira in Arabic) presents a compatible duo of lentils and chickpeas. It can be served all year round, but is especially appealing as a transitional early fall soup, using fresh tomatoes. Serve with fresh pita bread.

While fresh local corn is abundant in early fall, the most tempting way to eat it is right off the cob. But cooking with fresh corn can be equally appealing. Its sweetness and crunch can’t be matched by frozen corn kernels. Serve this with Hearty Bean Bread (page 146) and a green salad for a filling meal.

Elegant and richly flavored, this soup features almond butter as its base. Fresh whole-grain bread and a salad of tomatoes and mixed greens make excellent companions.

If it’s possible for squash to be considered a “fun” food, spaghetti squash certainly fits that description. Its noodlelike strands contrast nicely with the crisp turnips and snow peas in this stew.

This delicious stew looks and smells as enticing as it tastes. My sister-in-law, Toni Atlas, provided the inspiration for this recipe.

As everyone knows, greens are good for you, but with its high calcium content, kale is a standout. Unlike many greens, kale does not wilt on contact with heat, but needs a good bit of simmering to get done. Its deep green color and elaborately ruffled leaves, contrasted with the yellow of the squash and the orange of the sweet potato, make this an attractive and nourishing dish for the early autumn harvest.

Here’s a great soup to make in the early fall, while fresh corn and tomatoes are still available.

Modeled after the traditional cheese- stuffed, deep- fried green chiles that I adore so much at Mexican restaurants, this lighter, healthier version is almost as much fun to eat. I like to use a mixture of mozzarella and Spanish Manchego cheeses, but you should use what you like. Often, I’ll use soy cheese substitutes instead of real cheeses to make this a nondairy dinner that’s lower in saturated fats and easier to digest.

This recipe has a Middle Eastern flair and is great as a vegetarian main course or a side dish for a larger meal. The lentils provide all the protein needed for a complete meal. Bulgur is a form of wheat (the wheat berries are steamed, dried, and ground) often used when making veggie burgers or tabbouleh. You can easily prepare this meal without the bulgur; just be sure to omit the water as well.

The Dutch discovered tempeh in Indonesia in the 1600s, but it has been used in Java for a thousand years. Tempeh is a fermented food made from partly cooked soybeans inoculated with spores of a friendly mold so that it transforms into a cheeselike product. It is firm with a slightly yeasty flavor until it soaks up whatever flavors you add, just as tofu does. Tempeh may be made with soybeans only or with soy and a grain such as rice, barley, or quinoa. Find it in the refrigerated section of the health food store, near the fresh tofu. I’m not a fan of cilantro, but it is a traditional ingredient in some Asian cooking styles. Use it in this recipe or leave it out, whichever you prefer.

This easy pasta dish is fancy enough to serve to company, but simple enough for weekday dining. If you like spicy food, double the red pepper flakes (the amount given here is considered mildly to medium spicy). Or you can just leave them out.