The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet

Chapter One

Simplicity In

a Soup Pot

Have you ever noticed that the phrase "soul-satisfying" often accompanies the word "soup"? A good soup does as much for the spirit as it does for the stomach. Whether it's an Asian-style broth or a thick puree, I can think of no other food that gives as much comfort.

Of all the sections in this book, I found this one to be most challenging. For me, making soup is a magical alchemy—cutting up a number of ingredients, adding a pinch of several spices and seasonings, and, after heating long enough, the disparate mixture gradually becomes a cohesive (and very flavorful) whole. And despite (or maybe because of) having written an entire book on vegetarian soups, it was not as easy as I thought to come up with soups that can perform this culinary magic with five or fewer ingredients.

More so than in some of the other categories in this book, I rely on "helpers" as shortcuts to good flavor. Canned vegetable stock or bouillon, seasoning mixes, and often, a single assertive fresh herb helped me ensure flavorful results in very simple soups.

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