This soup is very easy to make and is great in small bowls as a first course. Pack some in a thermos and take it along on a picnic or to a football game. This soup is easily made ahead and reheated.

Clams in white wine make a great starter course to share. The chorizo adds a special smokiness to the broth. Always use the dry type like the one pictured above. Have some bread on hand to sop up the broth!

Here is a simple and satisfying stay-at-home meal that can be a thick stew served as a side dish or as a soup all on its own, depending on the amount of liquid you add. Roasting the vegetables and adding them at the end keep them from over cooking. Even better, you can substitute with things you have on hand - just look at my suggestions.

This hearty bean soup/stew calls for large white beans. You can use gigante, cannellini or large limas although the flavor will be different for each. Remember to soak them. See my notes below. I make this soup with or without meat, depending on my mood and what I might have leftover from grilling or braising.

This chilled gazpacho is great served in small cups and goes easily in a thermos for picnics. My version gets a twist with smoked paprika. This soup can also be made as a thick sauce for grilled meats by reducing the amount of tomato and V-8 juices.

New Orleans is a long way from the Rhône, but the Creole cooking there has its roots in France. There is nothing more satisfying on a cool fall day than a steaming bowl of gumbo. During harvest winery crews work long, back-breaking days. I like to keep a big pot of this on hand to keep them going.

The Hutterite bean is one of the best soup beans I have ever cooked with. It is golden in color with a dark eye and cooks in very little time. When the bean breaks down, it creates a creamy soup unlike any other bean.

I serve this soup often at the winery, for special event gatherings. This is a vegetarian soup with optional additions (see notes below). We let guests build their own bowl as they wish with toppings of spiced shredded beef and preserved lemon-harissa sauce. The flavors are very North African and soul-satisfying on a rainy day.

If you have some fish in the freezer, this is a perfect way to use it. You can try cod, snapper, coho, shrimp, or sea bass. Fresh fish of any kind plus mussels or clams are always welcome.

Soupe au Pistou is a classic southern French white bean and vegetable soup. A big spoonful of basil pistou is added to the bowl at the time of serving, giving the soup a bright green hue and a pungent fragrance that wakes up the senses. I call this my "Recovery Soup" when I serve it at the Tasting Room on the day after Thanksgiving.