Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 large beets, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup beet greens, chopped
1 onion, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1/4 small red or green cabbage, shredded
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons oil
water, to cover

Put all the ingredients except vinegar into a soup pot and fill with water to about 1 1/2 to 2 inches above the vegetables. Simmer until beets are cooked, about 30 minutes.

Mash the vegetables with a fork coarsely. Add vinegar; serve warm.

Serve with a kasha dish and with pumpernickel or Russian black bread.
Variation Ideas:
-Add 1 tablespoon raisins after mashing the vegetables, and cook 5 more
minutes.
-Add 1 sliced potato with the beets to get a heartier soup.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 pound butternut squash or acorn squash
2 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, diced fine
3 cups vegetable broth
1 can garbanzo beans, drained (reserve the liquid)
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1/4 cup cilantro leaves (optional), minced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
salt and pepper

Heat the oven to 375 F.

Place the squash in an oven-proof dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake until tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Let cool. Peel and seed the squash, and scoop the pulp from the shell. Set it aside.

In a pan, heat the oil and sauté the onion over low-to-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool.

In a blender or food processor, puree (in batches if necessary) the squash, onion, broth, half of the garbanzo beans, and all of the reserved liquid from
the garbanzo beans.

Return the puree to the pan.

Stir in the tomato paste, cayenne, and salt and pepper.

Add the remaining whole garbanzo beans and heat the soup thoroughly.

Sprinkle with the minced cilantro and serve.

Variation Ideas:
-To speed up the cooking, use canned pumpkin and skip to the part where you
sauté the onions

Servings: 4.

Ingredients:

16 ounces boned lamb (leg or shoulder)
4 ounces barley
4 cups water
1 turnip, diced
1 onion, diced
1/2 carrot, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped fine
salt and pepper

Broil lamb until rare. Cool and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Add the meat and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the vegetables, barley, salt, and a generous amount of pepper. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer until the meat and vegetables are cooked, about 30 minutes.

With a fork, blend the butter with the flour in a small bowl. Stir it into the soup. Cook the soup until it thickens slightly.

Garnish with parsley; serve hot.

Variation Ideas:
-To cook this soup the Italian way, use 3 1/2 cups of water with 1/2 cups of red
wine; add 1 teaspoon each of dried basil, oregano, and rosemary; add 1 bay leaf,
1 chopped tomato, and a little bit of lemon peel; 2 cloves of garlic, minced, with
the vegetables. Serve with Parmesan or Romano cheese.
-Use only half of an onion and add 1/2 cup chopped leeks.
-Use left over cooked meat of any kind, cubed, with the veggies and omit the first
30 minutes of cooking time.
-Add 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, 1/2 cup canned lima beans and 1/2 cup sliced
mushrooms with the vegetables. Omit the parsley and use fresh dill instead.

Servings: 4
This is a livelier version of pumpkin soup that is served around the autumn and winter seasons in the United States.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups pumpkin, cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 small potato, cubed
1 small carrot, chopped
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander
a pinch of nutmeg
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
salt and pepper, to taste

In a saucepan, sauté the onion, celery stalk, and carrot until the onion becomes transparent, around 5 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower the heat; simmer for 40 minutes or until the pumpkin falls apart when you stick it with a knife.

Mash with a fork; keep the texture a little coarse.

Servings: 4
Serve this winter soup in bowls made out of clay just like they do in the bistros of France.

Ingredients:

4 onions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups water or broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon thyme
4 slices baguette or any crusty bread, 1-inch thick
2 1/2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated or sliced thin
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper, to taste

Lightly toast the bread slices and set aside.

In a saucepan, sauté the onions with the butter over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly.

Add wine and gradually whisk in the water. Add the herbs, salt and pepper; bring to a boil and simmer for 25 minutes.

Ladle the soup into 4 oven-safe soup bowls.

Place the breads on the bowls and top with the cheese.

Broil on the top rack until the cheese is melted.

Variation Ideas:
-Omit Gruyere cheese; use Swiss or Parmesan instead.