Frightfully delicious soups for a Halloween gathering

Boo! It’s an informal Halloween get-together. Who said that kids get to have all the fun? OK, they can come, too.

This year the big day falls on a Thursday, an almost-end-of-the-work-week date that calls for a one-bowl entrée style gathering. A delicious soup can be a festive main course that stands on its own without a side dish.

Serve in individual soup bowls or coffee mugs. For more generous servings, use large cappuccino cups with large loop handles. No need to set a formal table — this dinner can be portable.

These are soups that would happily warm any mummy’s tummy.

Only a modest amount of dried red pepper flakes is used in this version of a Thai-style carrot soup. Be sure to taste it after it is pureed and adjust the spice level to suit your taste. I like to use Frank’s RedHot because it is a hot sauce that is both spicy and tart.

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Gingered Carrot Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, ends trimmed, diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons peeled, chopped fresh ginger

1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped

4 1/2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Optional: 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons seasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup milk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro, toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

In large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, garlic, ginger and carrots; cook 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent. Add broth, pepper flakes, coriander, turmeric, fish sauce (if using), lime juice, vinegar, peanut butter, brown sugar, sesame oil, and milks; bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 25-30 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover and allow to cool slightly.

Process in batches in either food processor fitted with metal blade or blender until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

If making ahead, cool the soup and store, airtight in refrigerator until ready to gently reheat.

Heat on low until simmering gently. Remove from heat and ladle into soup bowls or cups.  Garnish soup with chopped fresh cilantro and pinch of toasted sesame seeds. Yield: 6 servings

Source: “The Wine Lover’s Cookbook”’ by Sid Goldstein (Chronicle, $22.95)

This cold-weather dish hails from Valle d’Aosta in the Italian Alps. Arranged in a 9-by-13-inch broiler-proof pan, it looks more like a casserole than a soup. Much of the hot broth, flavored with Savoy cabbage and pancetta, is absorbed by large chunks of dry bread. Bite into the Fontina cheese topped bread and your mouth fills with delectable broth.

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Italian Savoy Cabbage Soup (Zuppa alla Valpellinentze)

INGREDIENTS

10 to 12 ounces whole hearty rye bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes, see cook’s notes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

4 ounces pancetta, cut into small dice

1 onion, halved, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 head Savoy cabbage, about 1 1/2 pounds, cored, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 cups beef broth

2 bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

5 ounces fontina cheese, shredded, about 1 cup

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Cook’s notes: This dish requires an uncut loaf of bread. I find it difficult to track down whole loaves of rye bread. I substitute sturdy La Brea Bakery Italian Round, or La Brea Bakery Whole Grain, or La Brea Bakery Country White.

DIRECTIONS

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Spread bread in a single layer on rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until dried and crisp throughout, about 45 minutes; let croutons cool completely.

Heat oil and butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat until butter melts. Add pancetta and cook until browned and fat is rendered, about 8 minutes. Stir in onion and salt; cook over medium heat until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds.

Stir in cabbage, broth and bay leaves; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until cabbage is tender, about 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.  If you want to make the soup a day ahead, you can cool the soup and refrigerate it airtight. Store the dried bread cubes airtight at room temperature. Reheat the soup before proceeding to Step 4.

Adjust oven rack to 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Discard bay leaves from the hot soup. Spread half of the cabbage mixture evenly in bottom of a 9-by-13-inch broiler-safe baking dish, then top with half of the bread cubes. Repeat with remaining cabbage mixture and remaining bread cubes. Gently press down on croutons with rubber spatula until thoroughly saturated. Sprinkle with cheese over top and broil until melted and spotty brown, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Source: Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at @CathyThomas Cooks.com./Tribune News Service