Soup/Stew

When a dark chilly afternoon in October portends a killing frost, gather the last of the garden's bounty and make a steaming pot of soup for dinner. This recipe makes a generous amount that will feed a family for more than one satisfying meal.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Instead of white cubes of tofu bobbing in this African-style soup, where they look decidedly odd, I purée the tofu with a portion of the finished soup until everything is smooth. The tofu is there, but it doesn't intrude. And this is a method you can use with virtually any puréed soup. If you wish, you can purée the entire soup or leave it textured, with bits of sweet potatoes and peppers.

Onion soup is known internationally as a French classic, but the Tuscans claim that they were actually the first to use the tear-provoking vegetable in soup.

If you're craving a comforting, old-fashioned chicken dish, this is it. Rendering the fat from the chicken skin gives the sauce its rich flavor.

"Years ago, when we were dating, my husband took me to Park Bistro in Manhattan," writes Therese Tetzel of Dallas, Texas. "To this day, we return to the restaurant every time we go to New York. Its version of coq au vin is the best I've had in the United States—similar to one we tried in Burgundy."

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

A soup this hearty calls for wedges of crusty country bread alongside. For the salad, arrange sliced pickled beets on romaine leaves and sprinkle generously with fresh dill. Apple strudel is just right to finish up.

In Morocco, the word tagine refers to any of the country's slowly simmered meat, chicken, fish or vegetable stews that often have both savory and sweet flavors. It also refers to the earthenware dish with a conical lid in which the stew is cooked and served. Couscous or bread is a typical accompaniment.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Steamed baby potatoes and a baguette are good partners for the fish. For dessert, spoon sugared raspberries over angel food cake.

Lane Crowther, A contributing editor at Bon Appétit, says that "For twenty-five years our family endured side dishes of canned creamed corn and sweetened baked squash—simply for the sake of tradition. With this soup, I was finally able to convince everyone that a few classic Thanksgiving ingredients (like corn and squash) could be combined in a delicious new way."

Northern Greeks, particularly those from Salonika, eat a lot of clams and mussels, usually as mezedes. Here's an easy-to-make dish from Greece's "second city" Cappetino.

Threads of rosy-tipped snow crabmeat look pretty atop this jade green soup, but you may want to splurge on jumbo lump crabmeat. This is also delicious hot.