Simmer

A second vegetarian wheat soup, this is well worth trying. The recipe calls for winter wheat berries, but it could just as easily be made with spelt. The cooking time difference is minimal. If cooked wheat berries or spelt are on hand, simply add 9 cups (2.25 liters) water to 2 3/4 cups (360 g) cooked berries and continue from there.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

For cool contrast to the spicy soup, serve an orange, red onion and avocado salad sprinkled with ground cumin, fresh lime juice and olive oil. Complete the main course with corn bread, and end with vanilla pudding topped with cocoa powder and chopped pecans.

In France puréed potatoes are mixed with a local cow's-milk cheese known as Tomme Fraîche de Cantal. We've substituted fresh mozzarella — widely available in the States — to give the dish a similar consistency.

Serve garlic toast with this to mop up all the savory broth.

Root vegetables are a staple of Irish cooking. They often show up in soups, such as this one from The Courtyard in Schull, Ireland.

The shrimp are simmered and served in a peppery, New Orleans-style sauce-peel them at the table as you eat. Coleslaw, crusty French bread for sopping up all the sauce, and plenty of napkins are ideal accompaniments. For dessert, crullers and coffee with whipped cream would be easy substitutes for traditional beignets and café au lait.

A version of the popular Cuban soup comes from Miami's Casa Larios.

Warm garlic toast and an arugula salad with balsamic vinaigrette are good partners with the pasta. A purchased lemon tart is a fitting dessert.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.