Name: Treme (Mock) Turtle Soup
Yield: Serves 4-6
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs. ground sirloin; 6 stalks celery, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 cup chopped onion; 3/4 cup butter; 1 15-oz. can tomato puree; 2 14.5-oz. cans chicken broth; 2 14.5-oz. cans beef broth; 1/2 cup flour mixed with 1 cup water; 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce; 1 cup ketchup; 1 tsp. hot sauce; 2 bay leaves; 1 1/2 tsp. thyme; Salt and pepper to taste; 1 1/2 cups lemon juice; 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, minced; 6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped; 6 slices lemon, for garnish; 1 cup sherry, or to taste, optional

Image may contain Bowl Dish Food Meal Curry Birthday Cake Dessert Cake Soup Bowl and Plant

photo by Michael Palumbo

When it comes to cooking, we like things to be quick and easy—as long as flavor is not sacrificed. However, when it comes to soup, we realize that an extra few minutes of prep work make a real difference in the richness and quality of a recipe.

Quickly sautéing vegetables before adding them to the slow cooker scales back their acidity and firmness. Allowing them to then simmer in the slow cooker for hours allows all of the ingredients to meld. It's the perfect formula for a successful soup!

Recipe notes

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Heavenly Halva Cake

Serve a thick slice for breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up.

Vodka Gochujang Pasta

This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Kung Pao Cabbage With Tofu

Reliable cabbage is cooked in the punchy sauce and then combined with store-bought baked tofu and roasted cashews for a salad that can also be eaten with rice.

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo & a Pat of Butter

This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.