Six-Ingredient Solution

INGREDIENT SPOTLIGHT

CHAI TEA

Chai is a fragrant, Indian black-tea blend that often includes cardamom, cinnamon, clove, ginger, and black pepper, though the exact formulation can vary from brand to brand; you can find it in any supermarket. We tested this recipe with several brands of chai, both caffeinated and decaffeinated, and they all worked well.

SERVES 4 TO 6

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS We combined two ingredients popular in Indian cuisinecurry and cauliflowerin this boldly flavored soup. Coconut milk is often used in Indian cooking for its richness and sweetness, but regular coconut milk overpowered the delicate flavor of the cauliflower. Switching to the light variety worked better; it still provided a nice creaminess and subtle coconut flavor, but now we were able to taste the curry and cauliflower. Fresh ginger added spicy warmth to our soup, but it was calling out for more aromatic presence. Chopped scallion whites did the trick, plus we could use the scallion greens to garnish our finished soup. Wed typically cook the curry powder, ginger, and scallion whites in oil to deepen their flavors, but a portion of the coconut milk worked well in its place and kept our ingredient list down. See the that follows the recipe.

Core and coarsely chop cauliflower. Mince scallion whites and slice scallion greens; keep whites and greens separate. Grate 1 tablespoon ginger. Heat cup coconut milk in Dutch oven over medium heat until simmering. Add scallion whites, ginger, and curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, cauliflower, teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper and simmer until cauliflower is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Working in batches, process soup in blender until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Return soup to clean pot and whisk in remaining 1 cups coconut milk. Add extra water as needed to adjust soups consistency. Heat mixture gently over low heat until hot (do not boil). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle individual portions with scallion greens before serving.

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TEST KITCHEN TIP

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CUTTING UP CAULIFLOWER

Pull off any leaves, then cut out cauliflower core using paring knife.

Separate florets from inner stem using tip of paring knife. If florets are too big, continue to cut them smaller as needed.

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INGREDIENT SPOTLIGHT

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CURRY POWDER

Though blends can vary dramatically, curry powders come in two basic stylesmild or sweet and a hotter version called Madras. The former combines as many as 20 different ground spices, herbs, and seeds, the staples being turmeric (which accounts for the traditional ocher color), coriander, cumin, black and red pepper, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, cardamom, ginger, and fenugreek. Our favorite brand is Penzeys Sweet Curry Powder, which tasters praised for being neither too sweet nor too hot, and for delivering a balance of sweet and earthy notes.

Roasted Tomato Soup

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SERVES 4 TO 6

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS For a creamy tomato soup thats big on flavor (but not on ingredients) we started by roasting canned whole tomatoes to deepen their flavor and add complexity. Sprinkling them with a tablespoon of brown sugar aided in browning. Next we went to the stove and cooked a chopped onion with a bit of brown sugar until it was caramelized and intensely flavored. Most creamy tomato soup recipes call for heavy cream, but we were looking for more bang for our buck. Boursin cheese, which is flavored with garlic and herbs, was perfect; it gave our pureed soup a creamy, luxurious texture, and a bold aromatic presence as well. Make sure to use canned whole tomatoes that are packed in juice, not puree; you will need some of the juice to make the soup.