Read A Beautiful Bowl of Soup for Free Online Page B

blue sea.
    Makes 4 cups (4 to 6 servings)
    ¼ cup sweetened flaked coconut
    1 tablespoon canola oil
    1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
    ¼ cup finely chopped fresh ginger
    4 cloves garlic, minced
    1 14-ounce can “lite” coconut milk
    ¾ cup vegetable stock, or as needed
    ¾ cup smooth natural peanut butter (see Tips)
    ¼ cup mango chutney (see Tips)
    1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeño chili, or to taste
    ˜ salt to taste
    ¼ cup finely chopped green onions (green parts only)
    2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
    ˜ Asian sesame oil (see Tips) for garnish
Toast the coconut in a small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.
    Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and ginger are very tender, about 10 minutes.
    Transfer the onion mixture to a blender. Add the coconut milk, vegetable stock, peanut butter, chutney, and jalapeño; purée until smooth. (It may be necessary to add more vegetable stock if the peanut butter is very thick.)
    Transfer the soup to the Dutch oven and stir occasionally over medium heat until heated through. Season to taste.
    Meanwhile, toss together the coconut, green onions, and cilantro. Drizzle each serving with sesame oil and top with a mound of the coconut mixture.
advance preparation
    Refrigerate this soup and the toasted coconut in separate covered containers for up to 3 days. When reheating the soup, stir in water to thin as desired.
TIPS
    Buy natural peanut butter with oil on the top; stir in the oil before using. Many processed peanut butters are hydrogenated to prevent separation and have sugars, salt, and stabilizers added.
    Chutney is a mixture of fruit and/or vegetables, often cooked with vinegar, sugar, and spices. Usually made with mango, chutney is found in most supermarkets; look for it shelved with either the condiments or dressings.
    Buy dark, amber-colored Asian sesame oil, made from toasted sesame seeds, rather than light-colored sesame oil, which is extracted from raw sesame seeds and lacks the distinctive strong aroma and nutty flavor. Purchase toasted sesame oil in the Asian section of supermarkets or in Asian markets. After opening, store it in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to 6 months.
    All good cooks learn something new every day.
    —Julia Child

french vegetable soup with sherried mushrooms
    Vegan recipe if olive oil is substituted for the butter
    This full-bodied soup is thickened with cooked winter vegetables, not cream. For an elegant touch, top the soup with sherried mushrooms or a drizzle of truffle oil (see Tips) and garnish with the feathery fennel fronds. Accompany with Gruyère Cheese Crisps to add crunch.
    Makes 9 cups (8 servings)
soup
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
    1 orange-fleshed sweet potato (about 10 ounces), peeled and cut into ¾-inch chunks (about 2 cups)
    1 russet potato (about 10 ounces), peeled and cut into ¾-inch chunks (about 2 cups)
    2 celery stalks with leaves, coarsely chopped
    1 carrot, coarsely chopped
    ½ cup coarsely chopped onion
    1 fennel bulb, quartered and thinly sliced (see Tips)
    6 cups vegetable stock, or as needed
    2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    2 bay leaves
    mushrooms
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    2½ cups (6 ounces) sliced cremini mushrooms
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    ¾ teaspoon sweet paprika, preferably Hungarian
    1 tablespoon dry sherry
    1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
    1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
    ˜ salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
to complete the recipe
    3 cups (about 3 ounces) stemmed and coarsely shredded fresh spinach
    ˜ salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
    ˜ sprigs of fennel fronds for garnish
to make the soup
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the corn, potatoes, celery, carrot, onion, and fennel. Cook, stirring occasionally,