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listed here are for soups that are
hip. They're contemporary, the
kinds of soups you'd eat in trendy
restaurants.
The surprise is that they usual-
ly take less than 20 minutes to
prepare, including the chopping
and dicing. All that's left is the
cooking time. And, with the
exception of the bread soup, the
soups here feed a crowd, not the
one or two portions you can usu-
ally eke out of prepared cans and
packages.
It's bad enough that the leaves
are gone, the nights are inter-
minable and the air is cold (and
getting colder). At least there's
soup.

•* ; :a:;Z

i ing the mental prepara-

tion, the first blasts of
continuous cold air that
signal the change of seasons still
throw many folks for a loop.
During this time, your instincts
may lead you to the soup aisle of
your local grocer. You pick up can
after can, hoping that what's inside
will look like the pictures of what's
outside. Resist the temptation, if
possible, until you try some of the
simple, robust vegetarian soup
recipes listed here.
Soups are basic and versatile.
They can start a meal or be a meal.,
A refined broth or pureed soup
hints at an elegant luncheon or
evening. A thick or chunky soup is
like a warm embrace, it reaches way
down to comfort. And hot soup is
an experience that lingers long after
the meal is over.
Making soup is not without
tribulations. Some fear that the
soups they make just won't taste
good and if a soup isn't good,
you've wasted ingredients and
admitted defek
The second issue is more a
problem of time. While on televi-
sion, professional chefs seem to
chop, saute and throw in the
exact, perfect amount of oregano
and poblano chiles, the non-pro
may take a whole lot longer to
gather ingredients and chop them
without losing fingers. And how
Many people in the world have
chicken or vegetable stock at their
fingertips? .
Help is on the way. The recipes

Lemon Lentil Soup

•

PUREED SQUASH SOUP
WITH BLUE CHEESE AND
TOASTED WALNUTS
This smooth-as-silk soup is so elegant
and at the same time, easy enough to
make all the time. If squash isn't your
thing, try making the soup with
almost any vegetable or root, such as
carrots, sweet or regular potatoes,
onions and more.
The bleu cheese and toasted walnut
garnish makes this soup even more
luxurious. Change the cheese or nut
type and you've created your own
soup.
3 T. butter
2 cups chopped onions
3 pounds peeled, cubed winter
squash, seeds removed
(acorn or butternut are good
choices)
4 cups water, chicken or
vegetable broth
1/2 T. nutmeg
kosher salt and ground black
pepper to taste