Dress It Up Dress It Down

As the slogan says, soup is good food. It’s easy to make--even the most basic chopping skills will do. And if you’re smart, you’ll make enough to last for several meals. Then you can dress the soup up--with a goat cheese crouton, as we’ve done here--or go completely casual and serve it plain with a sandwich or green salad.

The idea of this menu is to start with a simple but elegant dinner for six. For the risotto course, invite your guests into the kitchen to help stir, since the rice can’t be made ahead.

Then use the leftover soup in the days that follow. Soup always tastes better when it has a day to rest.

STAPLES

Oil

Black peppercorns

Bay leaves

Dried thyme

Eggs

Butter

Garlic

Sugar

Vanilla extract

Salt

2 onions

10 (14 1/2-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (if not using homemade stock)

1 (3- to 4-ounce) piece Parmesan cheese

SHOPPING LIST

1 head cauliflower

1 head broccoli

3 large carrots

1 loaf white bread

5 ounces garlic-herb or plain goat cheese

1 (8-ounce) container cottage cheese

2 (16-ounce) bags arborio rice

6 ounces mixed wild mushrooms such as shiitake, oyster or crimini

1 (8.8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

1 lemon

1 (16-ounce) carton sour cream

1 (8-ounce) bag chocolate-dipped biscotti cookies

GAME PLAN

Morning of dinner or evening before: Prepare cheesecake, leave in mold, cover and refrigerate. Prepare soup and refrigerate.

Few hours before: Unmold cheesecake and assemble crust. Chill in refrigerator if desired (may also be served at room temperature).

1 hour before: Prepare cheese mixture, form into croutons and set aside.

30 minutes before: Reheat soup on stove over low heat until hot.

15 minutes before: Bread and pan-fry croutons. Saute mushrooms for risotto and set aside.

Initial serving time: Serve soup, topped with just-fried croutons.

After soup course: Invite guests into kitchen to take turns stirring as risotto is made. Serve immediately.

After risotto: Serve cheesecake.

PUREE OF VEGETABLE SOUP WITH WARM GOAT CHEESE CROUTONS

The warm goat cheese croutons turn a simple vegetable soup--a hearty mix of vegetables--into a beautiful first course. The cheese melts in your mouth as you eat it--though if you’re watching your weight, you could skip the crouton. If you’re serving the soup for a dinner party, make it a day ahead so you can pace your preparation chores; this will give the flavors a chance to blend. The croutons, however, are best done just before your guests arrive. Vegetable stock can be substituted for chicken stock to make this a vegetarian soup.

1/2 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns

1 bay leaf crushed

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 onion, diced small

1/4 cup oil

1 head cauliflower, separated into small florets

1 head broccoli, separated into small florets

3 large carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 small or 1 large zucchini, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

3 to 4 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch slices

6 cups homemade chicken stock or 4 (14 1/2-ounce) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth

Salt, pepper

Goat Cheese Croutons

Place peppercorns, bay leaf and thyme on small piece of cheesecloth. Bring corners of cloth together to form small sack and tie with string long enough to drape out of pan during cooking.

Saute onion in oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. Stir to coat vegetables with oil and continue to cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent burning.

Add zucchini and celery. Cook, stirring continuously, 3 to 4 more minutes.

Add chicken stock and spice bundle, cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer just until vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Be careful not to overcook.

To serve, remove spice bundle from soup. Puree soup using blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top each portion with 1 warm Goat Cheese Crouton.

Makes 12 cups, 12 first-course servings.

Each serving, without croutons, contains about:

96 calories; 444 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.19 grams fiber.

GOAT CHEESE CROUTONS

10 slices dry white bread

1 egg

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (from 1-ounce piece)

5 ounces plain or garlic-herb goat cheese

1/3 cup cottage cheese

Oil

Process bread into crumbs in food processor. Remove and set aside.

Process egg, butter, Parmesan cheese, goat cheese and cottage cheese in food processor until smooth. Return all but 1 cup bread crumbs to food processor and process until incorporated. Set reserved crumbs aside.

Transfer cheese mixture into medium-sized bowl. Using wet hands, form 1 rounded tablespoon of cheese mixture into ball, then flatten into small patty. Repeat until all of cheese mixture is used up. Using reserved cup of bread crumbs, bread each patty.

Heat enough oil for frying in medium-sized skillet to cover bottom by about 1/2 inch. When oil is very hot, add patties and cook on each side until golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer croutons to paper towel as each is done. (If burned pieces begin to collect in oil, strain them or change oil because this will affect color of croutons). Cover any extra croutons with plastic and keep refrigerated for later use.

Makes 8 to 10 croutons.

Each of 8 croutons contains about:

201 calories; 352 mg sodium; 47 mg cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 0.06 gram fiber.

WILD MUSHROOM RISOTTO

The risotto, if prepared with care and stirred constantly, is a creamy, rich and delightful main course. Serving the sauteed wild mushrooms on top, as is often done in Italy, is a nice alternative to stirring the mushrooms into the risotto. Vegetarians may substitute vegetable stock for the chicken broth.

1 to 2 tablespoons butter

6 ounces sliced wild mushrooms such as crimini, oyster or shiitake

Salt, pepper

2 quarts homemade chicken stock or 4 (14 1/2-ounce) cans reduced sodium chicken broth

1/3 cup oil

1 onion, diced fine

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups arborio or other short-grain rice

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (from 1 1/2- to 2-ounce piece)

Melt butter in medium skillet over low heat. Add mushrooms and saute just until tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm until risotto is ready.

Bring chicken stock to simmer over low heat. Keep at simmer.

Heat oil in heavy Dutch oven or skillet. When oil is very hot, add onion and fry, stirring constantly, until light brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook 2 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat with oil. Continue cooking until rice is opaque, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring continuously.

Add 1 1/2 cups stock. Stir until all liquid is absorbed. Continue adding stock, 1 1/2 cups at time, until risotto has creamy consistency but retains slight chewiness (al dente). Not all stock may be needed.

Remove risotto from the heat, vigorously stir in cheese and season to taste with salt if needed.

To serve, place risotto on individual plates and top each serving with small amount of warm mushrooms. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

579 calories; 1,259 mg sodium; 11 mg cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 85 grams carbohydrates; 16 grams protein; 0.65 gram fiber.

MASCARPONE CHEESECAKE

The addition of mascarpone cheese, although expensive, gives the cake an incredibly creamy consistency. The crust, made with chocolate biscotti cookies that you can buy in most supermarkets, has a luscious almond flavor that complements the mellowness of the cheese. The cheesecake can be served alone or with fresh berries on the side.

Butter

1 (8.8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese

1/4 pound cream cheese

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Salt

2 cups sour cream

1 cup chocolate biscotti crumbs, about 5 cookies

1 to 2 tablespoons melted butter

Grease sides and bottom of 6 1/2-inch springform pan with butter. Line bottom with greased parchment paper cut into circle to fit pan. Cover outside of pan with 2 layers aluminum foil.

Beat mascarpone cheese, cream cheese and sugar in large mixing bowl until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Scrape down sides as you go. Add lemon juice, vanilla and pinch salt. Beat just until blended. Beat in sour cream until incorporated. Do not over-beat.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Set pan in larger pan and add 1 inch of water to larger pan. Bake at 350 degrees until top is firm to touch, about 1 hour.

When done, turn oven off and leave cheesecake in oven 1 hour.

Place cheesecake on rack to cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Carefully run thin, wet metal spatula or knife around edge of pan to loosen cake. Remove collar of springform pan.

Place large plate upside-down over top of cake pan. Holding plate and pan together, invert and release hinge of pan. Remove bottom of pan and parchment paper and, if necessary, gently smooth cake with small moistened spatula.

Put cookie crumbs in small bowl and stir in just enough melted butter to moisten crumbs.

With small spatula or knife, carefully apply crumbs all around sides of cheesecake.

Serve either cold or at room temperature.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

631 calories; 445 mg sodium; 198 mg cholesterol; 45 grams fat; 49 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams protein; 1.67 grams fiber.

* Dinnerware from Geary’s in Beverly Hills.