
I've sung pureed soup's praises before, and I'll sing them again: few foods are more satisfying, nourishing, and leftovers-friendly while still allowing room for experimentation and intrigue. This Middle Eastern spiced carrot soup is no exception. Creamy without using cream and garnished with all matter of excellent nibbles, it's the sort of soup that is worthy of a light meal in and of itself.

A quick word on the garnishes: I know what you're thinking: four components for one soup . . . isn't that a hair excessive? The short answer is no. Spiced chickpeas, a tahini-lemon dollop, dukkah, and parsley make the soup the lovely dish it is by providing loads of textural and flavor contrast, while adding minimal time and effort to the recipe.
I started making hummus from scratch last year, when I discovered the organic dried chickpeas in bulk at the neighborhood Rouse's. I love to make it, but let's be honest: chickpeas take forever to cook, especially when you want them really soft, for hummus. But you can make a serviceable hummus out of just about any dried bean or pea: black-eyed peas, lima beans, black beans . . . and butter beans! While all of these might be tasty, the prettiest ones are going to be made from white or very light-colored beans. I've made black bean hummus before, and it turns out kind of blue-gray. Not untasty but not winning any beauty contests.
While everyone I know seems to be on an almond butter kick, one of my favorite peanut butter alternatives is tahini. Spread on toast, dipped in apples, and used in my
Making it couldn't be easier. The trick is toasting the seeds prior to processing, which bolsters the seeds' natural nuttiness, lending a complex, toasted flavor that's reminiscent of browned butter. Just be sure to diligently set your kitchen timer and check the seeds often, because they burn fast! Now that I have all this leftover tahini, I'm thinking it calls for a batch of tahini cookies . . .
Breathe life into an old favorite, chicken breast, by quick-roasting it, then ladling a puréed sauce of


