Tomato soup is the ultimate in comfort. Much of the time, I prefer it to chicken noodle soup because of the thick, hearty factor and because I am a mad tomato lover. Plus, you can't dunk a grilled cheese in chicken soup, but life is better when you do so with tomato.
I love the subtle notes of hot pepper, lemon and saffron in my recipe, and after once adding white beans to get my sons to eat more soup, I decided I really loved their inclusion too.

A few summers ago, I had pneumonia. It was pretty awful, but I rediscovered a love for both thousand-piece puzzles and homemade chicken noodle soup. Since then, I've been perfecting my recipe, and without further ado, here it is. 
Don't skimp on ingredient quality if you can help it. Nothing called for is overly fancy. I find it so lovely that basic things can coalesce into a magical elixir.

Pappa al pomodoro is the consummate comfort food. Humble, simple, rustic, and hearty, I am always amazed that five extraordinarily basic ingredients can be cooked into something so spectacular. 

A potage incorporates the vegetables (and/or meat) one has on hand, and today, a cold, gray one, I considered that a comfort dish like a fresh potage would not only satisfy but help me clean through my kitchen.
In my fridge I had a fresh pound of parsnips and some lingering rutabagas. My pantry proffered a handful of small red-skinned potatoes, some shallots, garlic and good olive oil. And a glance at my windowsill reminded me that one of the persimmons I’d plucked last month was finally seriously ripe.

On days when a comfort dinner is needed or simply desired, soup often fits the bill. It warms us when we're cold, soothes us when we're sick. It just feels good going down. I've been on a potato tear lately, craving them all the time and in every which way: mashed, roasted...you get my drift. Next step: soup!

A super-flavorful red chili scented with cinnamon, chock full of beans and easy to make with a number of pantry staples.

I adore sunchokes; they're nutty, earthy, flexible tuber. Here, I've used them in a wonderfully flavorful, robust, rich (but not heavy) winter soup!

Do you love seafood bisques but find yourself wishing for something lighter on occasion? This cream-free bisque is a beautiful marriage of shrimp, brandy and aromatics and uses cooked rice in place of the cream. You'd never know!

I make a very slightly adjusted version of Emeril's recipe because it is just awesome. There are many versions of gumbo but this, to me, is the archetypal LA GUMBO.

This is a lovely, delicious, refreshing way to enjoy summer tomatoes. Saffron always adds an interesting element, and pairs well with the tomatoes too.

This is a marvelous way to use up many of the veggies that have accumulated in your fridge. The foundation for this recipe is a soup from winneab, a Food52 cook, as well as my sister's Tuscan ribollita.

I found the original recipe for this Chile Verde on foodnetwork.com; it was the 2001 champion and was written by Karen Ray. This is a really delicious, bean-free chili!

This recipe, from Ali-Bab's “Gastronomie Pratique,” first appeared in The Times in a 1974 article by Craig Claiborne. I discovered it in a 2007 NY Times Magazine Recipe Redux by Amanda Hesser. It's been a favorite ever since- decadent, simple, hearty, fabulous.