[Photograph: Max Falkowitz] As far as I'm concerned, borsch (there's no t in the Cryllic) is about two things: playing off all the wonderful flavors of beets and an excuse to consume unforgivable amounts of sour cream. I love the... More

I'm not much of a red pepper soup guy. It's not that I hate the stuff, it's just that blended soups in general don't usually excite me. But I am a sucker for the traditional Indian spices which show up in this recipe from Bal Arneson on the Cooking Channel. And when you add smoked paprika, which I've been addicted to for months now, I just couldn't pass it up. I imagined a multi-layered soup, with a slightly smokey edge, warming and just slightly sweet from the peppers. More

The problem with most cheese soups is they seem more like a cheese dip than something you're supposed to eat with a spoon. I'm not sure if the issue is too much cheese or cream, but I wanted to make something that had the flavors of some spectacular real English cheddar, without feeling like I was snarfing down a pot of fondue. This recipe from Gourmet manages to balance the funky kick of a great cheese with a truly flavorful broth. More

Though Thanksgiving is unimpeachably the best holiday, there are moments in early November when the mere anticipation of post-Thanksgiving fullness can make you full, if not ever-so-slightly comatose. At times like these, even the most devout givers of thanks need a simple, comforting dinner like this appealingly basic Potato Leek Soup. More

Maybe it's the falling leaves, or just the slight chill in the air, but I was in need of something restorative and filling. During such times, my mind drifts towards the warming powers of kimchi, and of the Korean stew kimchi jigae. Even though I've written about a fine version of the recipe before, I was coerced into trying this recipe by Marc Matsumoto of the food blog No Recipes. "In the same way that every family has their own secret family recipe for kimchi," he writes, "the recipes for Kimchi Jigae vary widely by household." If the recipe differs so widely, why can't I write about another version? More

I've been on a sweet overload lately. We picked up ten pounds of candy for our Halloween party and I single-handedly must have already downed half of it. So when it came to making a grilled pumpkin soup last week, I avoided a sweet approach and spiced it up with curry powder, ginger, mustard, cumin, and cayenne instead. I couldn't have asked for better results. More

The point of vichyssoise is the simplicity: a puree of potato, cream, stock provide the soup's body to showcase whichever vegetable is at hand. The addition of carrot gives it a beautiful color and sweetness; the result is basically essence of carrot in soup form. More

Now I have at least one more great option for this under-loved vegetable. This recipe from Gourmet simmers them with some Black Forest ham and a whole bunch of scallions. The soup is chunky, relatively light, and a great showcase for the green tomato's bracing acidity. The secret weapon is the sour cream, which really pulls everything together, and helps add some much needed body. More

Here's the idea: grab some produce, seasoning, and perhaps some protein, throw it on a sheet tray and roast until golden and tender, then mash it up into a rustic, warming soup. Roasting adds a depth of flavor to this Roasted Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup that simmering will never provide, and it also makes for a low-fuss dinner that tastes like it took a lot more effort than it did. More

[Photograph: Max Falkowitz] Juniper plays best with gamey meats, but game can be hard to come by. If you don't hunt (or have a friend who does), your options are limited. Ducks, however, are far more widely available and are... More