Soup

Pass hot pepper sauce and warm buttered tortillas to complete this easy dish.

Briefly cooking the spices brings out their oils and enhances the flavor. Before pureeing the soup, be sure the carrots are tender. Once the orange juice has been added, reheat the soup over very low heat.

New herbed chicken broth is used in this soup; adding the cheese-garlic bread makes it a filling entrée. Serve with a salad of chopped tomato and herbed olives tossed in bottled or fresh balsamic vinaigrette with chopped fresh marjoram. End with slices of pound cake spread with bottled lemon curd and surrounded by tangerine sections.

Sopa de Camarones con Chile Pasilla Fried pasilla chile strips add an alluring crunch and intense caramelized flavor.

This silky puree can be made one day ahead. What to drink: That's easy — offer guests Irish ale throughout the meal.

Made with yogurt instead of cream, this pureed soup is deceptively light. The green apple peels, thinly sliced and fried, make a delicious garnish.

Soupe aux Pois Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 4 1/2 hr

I use a small, plump, shrewdly marketed black lentil dubbed "beluga" for this soup, but you can use dark green French lentils or flat olive-green ones, or you can try other pulses such as split peas — green, orange, or gold. Just be prepared to adjust the amount of stock or water. Whole cumin and black peppercorns, crushed just before you add them to the soup, flavor it boldly. I have served this soup three different ways — straight from the pot, irregularly mashed in a mortar, and fully puréed in a blender or processor. Each method produces a different texture and character, and I like all three.

A great starter for a robust autumn or winter dinner—even for the Thanksgiving meal.

This variation on the classic chilled leek and potato soup includes a cucumber-chive puree, which adds a refreshing and flavorful twist.

What to drink: Hagafen 2002 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley (kosher) or Brancott Vineyards 2002 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand.

The 2nd Avenue Deli in New York offers this satisfying soup.

Zucchini gives a summery twist to the classic leek-and-potato soup; this new take on an old favorite is served at Quisiana.

This light, spicy soup is delicious hot or chilled. The sautéed aromatics turn the broth a rich red-orange, more reminiscent of tomato than watermelon. See if your guests can guess the main ingredient. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 hr (3 hr if serving chilled)