Soup's on: hearty, seasonal bowls take the chill off in winter

Sunset, Jan, 2005 by Marcia Smart

Steaming bowls of soup--brothy stews or creamy purees--are truly family meals. They're easy to make and create a sense of shared warmth. It's what we cook for loved ones when they're feeling under the weather, and it's what we want on a chilly January afternoon to warm the house (and ourselves) with the scent and taste of something good.

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Our great winter recipes use the undersung root vegetables of the season--carrots and potatoes--for their earthy flavors and hearty textures. Whether it's rich chicken with dumplings to chase the sniffles away or zesty carrot, we've got it covered.

Chicken and Potato Soup with Dumplings

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/4 hours

MAKES: 2 1/2 quarts; 6 to 8 servings

NOTES: Use a wide pan in order to have adequate surface area to make the dumplings. You can make the soup through step 4 up to 1 day ahead if you like; cover it airtight and chill. Before serving, bring it to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then proceed with making the dumplings (steps 5 and 6).

    4 skinned chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 lb. total), rinsed
    2 quarts fat-skimmed low-sodium chicken broth
    5 fresh sage leaves, rinsed
    2 leeks (1 lb. total)
    5 russet potatoes (about 2 1/2 lb.), peeled and diced
    2 stalks celery (about 4 oz.), rinsed, trimmed, and diced
    2 carrots (about 6 oz.), peeled and diced
    1 cup all-purpose flour
  1/2 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
    1 teaspoon salt
    2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage leaves
  1/3 cup milk
    1 large egg plus 1 large egg white, beaten lightly together to
      blend
    2 tablespoons melted butter

1. In a 6- to 8-quart pan over high heat, bring chicken, broth, and whole sage leaves to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, skimming off and discarding any foam that rises to the surface, until chicken is no longer pink at bone (cut to test), about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cut off and discard root ends and dark green tops from leeks. Cut white and pale green parts in half lengthwise and rinse well under running water, flipping layers to release grit. Thinly slice leeks crosswise.

3. Lift chicken from broth. When cool enough to handle, pull meat into shreds (discard bones).

4. Add potatoes, celery, carrots, leeks, and 2 cups water to pan with broth. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender when pierced, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken.

5. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and the chopped sage. Stir in milk, beaten egg and egg white, and the melted butter just until combined.

6. Drop dumpling batter in 12 to 14 heaping tablespoon portions on the surface of the simmering soup. Cover pan and simmer over medium-low heat (do not allow soup to boil) until a knife inserted into the center of a dumpling comes out clean, about 10 minutes. Ladle hot soup into bowls.

Per serving: 368 cal., 17% (61 cal.) from fat; 28 g protein; 6.8 g fat (2.8 g sat.); 48 g carbo (3.6 g fiber); 591 mg sodium; 88 mg chol.

Carrot Soup with Tomatillo Relish

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/2 hours

MAKES: 2 1/2 quarts; 6 servings

NOTES: The tomatillo relish can be made up to 2 days ahead; cover and chill. The carrot soup can be made up to 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Reheat over medium heat, stirring often.

1 1/2 cups chopped onions
    3 tablespoons olive oil
    6 cups thinly sliced peeled carrots (about 10; 1 3/4 lb. total)
    2 Yukon Gold potatoes (12 oz. total), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch
      chunks
1 1/2 quarts fat-skimmed low-sodium chicken broth
      Salt
      Roasted tomatillo relish (recipe follows)

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium heat, stir onions often in olive oil until limp, about 10 minutes.

2. Stir in carrots and potatoes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pan, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and carrots are tender when pierced, about 20 minutes.

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3. Working in small batches, transfer soup to a blender or food processor and whirl until smooth. Pour into a large bowl.

4. Return the soup to the pan and stir often over medium heat until hot. Add salt to taste. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with a dollop of roasted tomatillo relish.

Per serving: 209 cal., 31% (64 cal.) from fat; 11 g protein; 7.1 g fat (1 g sat.); 26 g carbo (5.5 g fiber); 126 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Roasted tomatillo relish. Pull off husks from 1 pound tomatillos and rinse tomatillos well. Place in a 10- by 15-inch baking pan and bake in a 400[degrees] oven until slightly browned and soft when pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, rinse, stem, seed, and chop 1 fresh green jalapeno chile; rinse 2 cups lightly packed fresh cilantro and 1 cup lightly packed parsley. Transfer tomatillos to a blender or food processor and add chile, cilantro, parsley, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Pulse until mixture is coarsely chopped and slightly chunky. Makes 2 cups.

Per 1/4 cup: 51 cal., 69% (35 cal.) from fat; 0.8 g protein; 3.9 g fat (0.5 g sat.); 3.8 g carbo (1.5 g fiber); 5 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.