“This is the best soup I’ve ever had in my entire life.”

Yasmin Fahr's lemony chicken-feta meatball soup sustains and soothes.

View in browser|nytimes.com November 4, 2024 Yasmin Fahr's lemony feta-chicken meatball soup with spinach. Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. A lovely, lemony soup that sustains and soothes By Melissa Clark In the New York area, fall has been interrupting itself with summer weather, but that doesn't mean winter won't come in the end. I wish there were a way to store all this warmth in my bones for when the freeze finally arrives. But I know I can always put it on my table via zingy, sun-zapped herbs, fruits and vegetables that recall the blue skies they grew under. I'll certainly be reaching for Yasmin Fahr's lemony chicken-feta meatball soup with spinach all winter long. The combination of lemon and feta always gets me dreaming of Aegean beaches, while the spinach makes this dish both vivid and healthful. Instead of typical breadcrumbs, Yasmin uses rolled oats in her meatballs to help lighten them, creating a wonderfully tender, pleasing texture. Oats also thicken the broth, making this lovely meal even more sustaining. Be sure to keep plenty of lemon wedges on hand for squeezing in at the end — that extra zesty bump is pure sunshine. Featured Recipe Lemony Chicken-Feta Meatball Soup With Spinach View Recipe → Another thing I love about Yasmin's recipe is the cheese because, well, cheese. I love adding it to otherwise cheeseless dishes, like my shakshuka with feta. Yewande Komolafe seems to agree, because tucking nuggets of halloumi into her skillet chicken with couscous and lemon was truly inspired. The bits of salty cheese, tossed with chopped lemon and walnuts, make the dish positively vibrate with flavor and texture, an absolute delight in any weather. Just as snappy and a little spicy, too, is Ali Slagle's slow-roasted salmon with cucumbers and feta (yay, more cheese!). To make an aromatic oil in which to gently cook the salmon, Ali uses a mix of red pepper flakes and smoked paprika for a ruddy color and some heat, rounding it out with fennel and coriander seeds. The cucumber and feta are tossed on top of the salmon as a cool, saline counterpart to the silky, rich fish. Ifrah F. Ahmed's cagaar is a traditional Somali stew of spinach, tomatoes and other vegetables. It's less fiery than Ali's salmon, but just as redolent with spices. The key ingredient here is xawaash, a warm, cumin-y spice blend that you can either buy or whisk together from spices you probably already have on hand. Ifrah advises serving this soupy dish with soor (grits) or rice to soak it all up. A vegan meal that's ready in about 40 minutes, it will add a heady note to any weeknight. Even speedier and also meatless, Kay Chun's caramelized brussels sprouts pasta with toasted chickpeas is full of soft, sweet vegetables and crispy, nubby chickpeas. If you use a food processor to slice the brussels sprouts, you can have this on the table in about 20 minutes. But using a chef's knife only adds about 10 minutes, and this satisfying dish is well worth that little bit of prep work. And for dessert (or breakfast): Yossy Arefi's apple bread calls for both applesauce and a cubed apple, giving this gently sweet loaf plenty of fruit flavor under its golden, domed top. Since you don't need a mixer, it's a snap to make. Let the kids help mix the batter! It's a cozy way to spend an afternoon, and then you can send them to school with slices tucked into their lunchboxes. You will need to subscribe to get these recipes, along with the thousands of others available at New York Times Cooking (and if you're already a subscriber, we thank you). If you need any help with a technical issue, reach out to cookingcare@nytimes.com. And I'm at hellomelissa@nytimes.com if you want to get in touch. That's all for now, see you on Monday. IN THIS NEWSLETTER Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. Skillet Chicken With Couscous, Lemon and Halloumi By Yewande Komolafe 40 minutes Makes 4 servings Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Spicy Slow-Roasted Salmon With Cucumbers and Feta By Ali Slagle 30 minutes Makes 4 to 6 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Cagaar (Spinach Stew) By Ifrah F. Ahmed 40 minutes Makes 4 servings Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Caramelized Brussels Sprouts Pasta With Toasted Chickpeas By Kay Chun 20 minutes Makes 4 servings Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi. Apple Bread By Yossy Arefi About 1 ½ hours, plus cooling Makes 1 (9-inch) loaf Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly. Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Cooking from The New York Times. To stop receiving Cooking, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to NYT CookingGet the NYT Cooking app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018