Soup Suppers

Book excerpt: Healthful, practical, and economical, soup as a main course is a natural for the way people eat today. In Soup Suppers, Arthur Schwartz provides everything you need to know to turn a simple soup into a sensational meal. His chapters are conveniently organized by main ingredient and feature recipes that offer something for everyone. Here are new recipes for soups from around the world as well as favorites from just around the block, all made equally accessible to American cooks and their kitchens. Here you will find everything from simple, homey dishes like Chicken Gumbo, Fresh Tomato Soup, and Chili con Carne to such adventuresome departures from the everyday as Porcini, Potato, and Barley Soup; Thai Shrimp Soup; and Moroccan Harira with Chick-peas. In addition to the soups themselves, Arthur Schwartz provides recipes for accompaniments--breads, salads, appetizers, and desserts--that make his already hearty soups complete meals. Bruschetta, Popovers, and Walnut Onion Muffins are easy to prepare and delicious on the side of a soup, as are healthy recipes for Celery and Parmesan Salad, Marinated Mushrooms, and String Beans with Garlic and Sesame Oil. There is no better way to end a meal than with Arthur Schwartz's recipes for desserts, including Oatmeal Lace Cookies, Blueberry Apple Crumble, and Swedish Almond Cake. Presented in the relaxed and friendly manner for which Arthur Schwartz is known, Soup Suppers offers a versatile and satisfying, wholesome and hearty approach to home-cooked meals.