Dairy Free

A hot day, a big bunch of basil, and some great local tomatoes—all these came together a few summers ago to inspire a Mediterranean-flavored twist for tofu. This is a splendid main dish for warm summer evenings.

Common to many regional Middle Eastern cuisines, this is one of those supersimple dishes that, with the right ingredients, is amazingly tasty. Especially welcome as a fast summer dish, this is a good showcase for the abundance of delicious tomatoes in season. Shakshouka, in its original version, is made with eggs; in this vegan rendition, only one change needs to be made—silken tofu replaces the eggs.

With a few choice ingredients and just minutes, you’ve got a substantial soup for a summer day. Choose a crisp, flavorful cucumber with pale green (rather than watery white) flesh for optimal flavor. If the cucumber is organic and unwaxed, leave the peel on for extra fiber and flavor. If you have more time, cover and refrigerate the soup for an hour or more before serving.

I love making cool, refreshing soups that need no cooking at all on hot summer days. This one is nothing like the classic Indian soup of the same name, but it has a personality all its own. For best results, use the most flavorful, lush summer tomatoes available.

An appetizing, mildly spiced mélange of nourishing beans, grains, and greens, this makes a stellar centerpiece for a soup-based meal. Quinoa is an excellent source of protein, making this practically a meal in a bowl.

Sweet potatoes and watercress are both splendid sources of vitamin C; they team up in this quick soup to great effect. As I mention in the ingredient list, I like this with a dark, robust variety of miso such as barley or hatcho.

My older son loves a very simple red lentil soup served at a local Middle Eastern café. It’s good, but to my mind, not very interesting, so I created my own version, with a little more style and substance. I make this regularly and he rarely clamors for the café version.

For this bountiful vegetable soup, the less cooking time, the better. Everything should remain bright green and just tender-crisp.

Here’s a soup that comes together in no time, yet tastes as if it has been simmered for hours.

Oh, how I adore this soup, which I discovered at The Bakery in New Paltz, New York. A simple Italian classic, this soup has a number of variations, but I find there’s no need to dress up the basic formula. Escarole is a sturdy green that’s too tough for many salads, but it cooks quickly and, combined with cannellini beans, gives an almost buttery scent and flavor to the soup.

A delectable, high-protein puree made of cashew butter and silken tofu forms the base of this nearly instant soup. This soup is good warm, at room temperature, or even chilled, if you have the time to refrigerate it.

Thick, hearty noodles make this fifteen-minute soup substantial, yet it’s not too filling to serve as an introduction to another course.

When I first came up with this soup, I was looking to make something speedy to serve with a main dish salad. And speedy it is, taking only about fifteen minutes from start to finish, yet it tastes like a long-simmering soup. At first, I thought I was imagining things, but I’ve made it many times since, and that’s just how long it takes. The tiny bit of red curry gives it ample heat; if you’d like a spicier soup, use more, and for a less spicy effect, omit the red curry altogether

Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta. Look for the tricolor variety. While the orzo cooks, the vegetables for this soup roast in the oven, resulting in a sweet, smoky flavor when submerged in the broth.

Try this with Chocolate-Raspberry Delight Pie (page 107).

Syrup can be made up to one week in advance; refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.

Store shaped caramels in layers between sheets of parchment or waxed paper that have been lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray; keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one day. For the best results, avoid making these on a humid day.