Master Recipe 
This welcoming winter soup—almost a winter pistou—was inspired by a version I sampled at the hands of chef Akihiro Horikoshi at his minuscule yet spectacular restaurant La Table d’Akihiro in Paris’s 7th arrondissement. This soup contains many of my favorite colorful and healthy winter vegetables, including carrots, celery, and pumpkin. During the summer months, when the fresh white beans known in France as cocos blanc are in season, I shell the beans and freeze them uncooked to have on hand come winter. For the pumpkin, I prefer the smaller, firm-fleshed vegetable (such as delicata, kabocha, or butternut), in place of larger, fibrous varieties that can be watery and lack flavor. As the pasta component, I like to add the golden fregola, a Sardinian specialty somewhat similar in shape to large Israeli couscous, made from semolina dough and toasted in the oven. Let this simmer away on top of the stove on a cold winter’s day and you will be duly rewarded!
8 TO 12 SERVINGS
EQUIPMENT: A 6-quart (6 l) cast-iron pot with a lid; 8 to 12 warmed, shallow soup bowls.
2 medium onions, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into thin half-moons
1 garlic head, cloves peeled and halved, green germ removed if present
1 leek, white and tender green parts only, quartered lengthwise, rinsed, and thinly sliced
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt
3 carrots, unpeeled, halved lengthwise and cut into thin half-moons
4 celery ribs, cut into thin slices
4 cups (1 kg) peeled and cubed delicata, kabocha, or butternut squash
1 pound (500 g) fresh white beans (or dried; see Note)
Two 14-ounce (400 g) cans diced Italian tomatoes in juice
1 cup (170 g) fregola
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for garnish
1. In the cast-iron pot, combine the onions, garlic, leek, oil, and salt to taste. Stir to coat the vegetables with the oil. Sweat—cook, covered, over low heat—until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the carrots, celery, squash, beans, tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 2 quarts (2 l) cold water. Bring just to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, covered (so as not to reduce the liquid), until the vegetables are soft and the beans are cooked through, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Add the fregola and simmer until the pasta is cooked through, about 15 minutes more. Taste for seasoning. Serve in the warmed soup bowls, garnished with cheese.
VARIATIONS
• I sometimes add bits of cooked ham or a swirl of a quick, non-garlic pesto (basil leaves with a touch of olive oil and salt pureed in a blender).
• Add a Parmigiano-Reggiano rind in step 2 to further flavor the broth. Remove the rind before serving.
NOTE: If using dried beans, rinse them, place them in a large heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water, and set aside for 1 hour. Drain the beans and use as directed in the recipe.
MAKE-AHEAD NOTE: The soup can be prepared and stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.