Recipes for soups and stews on cool spring nights

While most people who see all the young, vibrant spring produce in the markets might immediately think to blanch it quickly to preserve its bright green flavor and crisp texture, I’m a “boil it” guy. Or, not really boil, but simmer. One of my biggest influences from culinary school was making the old-school French barigoule, a soup of gently poached spring vegetables with artichokes as the star.

All the flavors of the classic vegetables — carrots, new potatoes and baby onions — mingle with new additions I like — sugar snap peas, asparagus and fava beans — in a delicate saline broth. It’s the perfect thing when you want the comfort of a soup, but one that’s appropriate for spring.

I was thinking of that barigoule while testing Dunsmoor’s Pork And Green Chile Stew for my recent profile of the dish. In it, chef-owner Brian Dunsmoor recounts how he and his cooks will brown the meat and vegetables for the stew less and not reduce the liquid so much when he wants a lighter, brighter-tasting stew for warmer months. It reminded me of those barigoule-cooking days, which coincided appropriately with spring while I was in school, and how it felt like all I wanted to eat at that time.

While Dunsmoor’s stew may more be a showcase for pork and green chiles, I cooked the stew one more time after I was done testing it, swapping out its regular yellow onions for spring onion bulbs that I bought at the market a few days prior. I also tossed in some halved market cherry tomatoes at the very end, in lieu of the larger tomatoes, to add extra acidity to the stew. One day I had it plain, the next over a bowl of warm rice, and a third meal with the prescribed flour tortillas and some green hot sauce. I enjoyed the lightness of the stew so much, I never got bored with it.

It then, of course, kicked off a round of other stews I wanted to make that fit that same vibe. That iteration of Dunsmoor’s stew reminded me of Anissa Helou’s Tharid, an Arabian meat and vegetable stew served over crispy regag bread. While a beef stew might sound heavy, this one is cooked in broth flavored with fresh ginger, dried limes and chiles de árbol. Carrots, potatoes and zucchini act as sponges for the tangy spiced broth as well.

I always keep my friend Thea Baumann‘s Chickpea And Escarole Soup With Crispy Bread Crumbs in rotation because it’s so simple and healthy. Thankfully, it fit the bill here too, calling for escarole and chickpeas to braise briefly in a brick-hued broth infused with canned tomatoes and chile flakes.

And another vegetarian stew that I love is Aglaia Kremezi’s Braised Greens And Potatoes With Lemon And Fennel. Like that old-school barigoule, which comes from Provence, this Mediterranean stew also simmers greens, potatoes, fennel and onions in a refreshing broth spiked with preserved lemons, white wine and fresh dill. It’s the perfect fridge-clean-out meal to use up all those bits of farmers market produce that you eagerly bought and never got around to. It’s finally now their turn in the pool.

Pork And Green Chile Stew

Green chiles and tender pieces of pork shoulder come together in this homey stew topped with grated cheddar cheese and served with fresh flour tortillas at Dunsmoor restaurant in Glassell Park. Roasted and chopped Hatch green chiles can often be found in the freezer section of some grocery stores, but if you can’t find them, you can use the canned versions as a substitute.
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Cook time: 3 hours 45 minutes.

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Tharid (Arabian Meat And Vegetable Stew Over Crispy Bread)

Tharid is the Arabian Gulf version of the Levantine fatteh, made with a lot more bread and topped with a hearty meat and vegetable stew. Dried limes and fresh ginger here add plenty of acidity and spice to cut through the rich beef.
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Cook time: 2 hours 15 minutes.

(Kristin Perers / For The Times)

Chickpea And Escarole Soup With Crispy Bread Crumbs

Fresh, crunchy bread crumbs add contrast to this light soup that eats like a hearty meal. Use another type of canned bean if that’s all you have, and also feel free to switch the escarole for your favorite green, like Swiss chard or kale.
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Cook time: 50 minutes.

(Jennifer Chong / For The Times)

Braised Greens And Potatoes With Lemon And Fennel

This soupy stew has a depth of flavor that comes only from careful, long cooking. And it is a great way to get the most out of those odd scraps of lettuce, kale and chard in the crisper drawer. Don’t skip that final drizzle of olive oil — it provides a final lift for the whole dish.
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Cook time: 1 hour.