Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers by Moosewood Collective (summer reads TXT) 📕

the vegetables and tofu and add them to the bowl with the dressing: Peel, halve, and seed the cucumber, and then cut the halves into ¼ inch-thick crescents. Peel the carrot and cut it into matchsticks. Slice the scallions on the diagonal. Cut the tofu into matchsticks. Add the noodles to the bowl and toss well. Serve at room temperature, sprinkled with peanuts.

serving & menu ideas

Change the menu with the seasons: Serve with cool, crunchy Pan-Asian Slaw in the summer and with savory Indonesian Sweet Potato & Cabbage Soup when it’s cold outside.

warm french lentil salad

The warmth of this salad brings out the best flavors of the ingredients: mellow lentils, sharp escarole, aromatic fennel, and rich, crunchy walnuts. (See photo)

SERVES 4

TIME: 40 MINUTES

1 cup French lentils

1 teaspoon salt

1 medium head of escarole (about 12 ounces)

1 fresh fennel bulb

2 tablespoons olive oil or walnut oil

3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

2 teaspoons ground fennel seeds

1½ teaspoons dried thyme (1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh)

¾ cup chopped toasted walnuts

lemon wedges or a cruet of vinegar

In a saucepan, bring the lentils, 3 cups of water, and ½ teaspoon of the salt to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender but not mushy.

Meanwhile, rinse, drain, and chop the escarole (about 6 cups). To prepare the fennel bulb, remove the outer layers if bruised or soft. Cut in half lengthwise, remove the hard core, and thinly slice (about 2 cups).

In a large skillet, heat the oil and sauté the garlic, ground fennel, and thyme for a few seconds. Add the fresh fennel and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and stir-fry on high heat for about 2 minutes. Stir in the escarole and cook for another 2 minutes or so, until softened but still crisp and bright. Remove from the heat and drain any excess liquid into the cooking lentils.

When the lentils are done, drain them. Stir the drained lentils into the escarole mixture. Serve the salad warm or at room temperature, topped with the walnuts. Decorate with lemon wedges, or offer vinegar at the table.

INGREDIENT NOTE French lentils (also called du Puy lentils) are small and dark. They cook quickly and hold their shape nicely. Look for French lentils where other lentils are sold in your market.

variation

In place of fresh fennel, use 1½ cups thinly sliced celery.

serving & menu ideas

Decorate French Lentil Salad with tomato wedges and chèvre or feta. Serve with Asparagus Avgolemono and crusty French or Italian bread with good olive oil for dipping.

Mushroom Miso Soup

mushroom tortellini soup

With tortellini in the freezer and dried mushrooms and a carton of broth in your pantry, you can throw together this savory, filling soup in only half an hour.

SERVES 4

YIELDS 6 CUPS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

½ ounce dried porcini or portabella mushrooms

2 cups boiling water

2 cups diced onions

1 tablespoon olive oil or butter

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 quart mushroom broth

1 9-ounce package of fresh or frozen tortellini (cheese, mushroom, or sun-dried tomato filled)

salt and pepper

sour cream or grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Place the dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Set aside until the mushrooms soften, about 15 minutes.

While the dried mushrooms are soaking, in a soup pot on medium-high heat, cook the onions in the olive oil, stirring frequently, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the thyme and add the broth. Remove the mushrooms from the soaking liquid, rinse if needed to remove grit, chop, and add to the soup. Pour the soaking liquid through a coffee filter or paper towel if it is gritty and add it to the soup. Bring to a boil.

Add the tortellini to the boiling soup and cook until al dente: for fresh tortellini, 3 to 4 minutes; for frozen tortellini, 8 to 9 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, topped with sour cream or grated cheese if you like.

serving & menu ideas

Start with Caesar Salad with Tofu Croutons or with crudités and Herbed Hummus or Bean & Walnut Spread. Finish with one of the Fruit & Cheese Plates—try plums or pears with Manchego cheese.

tomato tortilla soup

This thick, flavorful Southwestern soup comes together easily using pantry items.

SERVES 4 TO 6

YIELDS 9 CUPS

TIME: 35 MINUTES

3 cups diced onions

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 quart vegetable broth

1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons minced canned chipotles in adobo sauce, or more to taste

1½ cups crumbled corn tortilla chips

In a soup pot on medium heat, cook the onions in the oil for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the cumin and oregano and stir for a minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, and chipotles, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Pulverize the tortilla chips in a blender. Add about 3 cups of the hot soup to the blender and purée until smooth. To make pouring easier, add another cup of hot soup and whirl on low speed. Stir the purée into the simmering soup pot. Serve hot.

serving & menu ideas

Garnish the soup with chopped avocados, sour cream, grated cheese, and/or chopped fresh cilantro. For a complete Mexican-style supper, pair the soup with Bean & Cheese Quesadillas. Assemble the quesadillas while the soup cooks. Serve natural lime frozen fruit bars or Mango Coconut Sorbet for dessert.

thai butternut squash soup

This creamy vegan soup is spicy and a little sweet.

SERVES 4

YIELDS 7 CUPS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

1 cup coconut milk

½ teaspoon Thai red curry paste

4 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups vegetable broth

1 Keiffer lime leaf (optional)

2 12-ounce packages of frozen cooked winter squash

1 lime

2 cups fresh baby spinach

chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

PAN-FRIED TOFU

½ cake firm tofu (about 8 ounces)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

½ teaspoon Thai red curry paste

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

In a soup pot, whisk together the coconut milk, curry paste, sugar, salt, and broth. Add the lime leaf and