Soup/Stew

Pair this with a green salad for a light lunch.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

For a simple dinner, present this flavorful soup with some warm crusty bread and a mixed green salad.

A platter of thickly sliced tomatoes topped with buttermilk-herb dressing and chopped hard-boiled eggs is a colorful partner for the soup. For dessert, have some fresh berries with whipped cream. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Swirl a little cream decoratively into each bowl of soup for an elegant presentation.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The lovely color and tangy taste of this starter make it a real crowd pleaser. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

There must be as many versions of this—Ireland's national dish—as there are cooks. One thing all recipes should say is that the stew is to be cooked slowly until the lamb is meltingly tender. This stew is the ideal dish to return to after a day in the open air, as it can be made ahead and reheated while cook and guests enjoy the hot punch.

In classic Chinese cooking, noodles destined for soup are cooked separately and added at the last minute so that the starch from the pasta doesn't cloud the broth. Because we were aiming for a rib-sticking dish, we broke with tradition and cooked the noodles right in the stock, allowing the starch to thicken the soup slightly.

(Braised Beef, Peppers, and Onions) Ropa vieja, or "old clothes," describes the shreds of meat, peppers, and onions resembling a mess of colorful rags. Robust stews such as this Cuban specialty are at the heart of West Indian cuisine.