Everybody always describes soups and stews in the same boring way: soulful, comforting, hearty, and so forth until I want to put my head down on the kitchen counter and take a little nap. Wake up, people! Why stick with the same old, same old? I hope you find the recipes in this chapter as fun as I do. I use a bunch of shortcuts to create awesome new bowls of goodness, like my smoky marinara soup, which gets a little—actually, a ton—of help from jarred tomato sauce or my super-tasty Asian stew that uses store-bought Chinese dumplings. Sometimes I rely on time-saving methods. For my updated beef bourguignon, for instance, I harness the power of a kitchen tool you probably don’t turn to as often as you should: the broiler.
with Smoked Almond & Parsley Gremolata
with Shiitake & Mustard Greens
with Swiss Chard & Jack Cheese