Contrary to what many believe, an outstanding soup requires real skill. The reason, simply, is that there is nowhere to hide. Every spoonful is practically identical to the other, so you have to create a certain complexity, a touch of drama, to keep your guests engaged. That’s why I invest time and effort in today’s soups, building flavours and textures from the bottom up, by adding ingredients in increments, as well as acidity, textural contrasts, aromas and spices, to end up with a bowl that’s full of warm, characterful appeal.

Chicken and parmesan soup with pappardelle (pictured above)

The magical power of chicken soup is pretty much universally accepted, and this one is no exception, with the deep-flavoured parmesan giving it an extra super-power. You can substitute the pappardelle for any pasta, really.

Prep 15 min

Cook 2 hr 25 min

Serves 4

1 whole chicken (around 1.4kg)

1 whole head garlic, halved, plus 4 cloves, peeled and crushed

1 onion, cut into 4 wedges

Salt and black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

2 carrots, peeled and cut into roughly 15mm cubes (220g net weight)

3 sticks celery, cut at an angle into roughly 1cm-thick slices (200g net weight)

3 bay leaves

1½ tbsp thyme leaves, finely chopped

60g parmesan, finely grated, plus 1 small piece of rind

5 plum tomatoes, coarsely grated and skins discarded (320g)

2 tsp tomato paste

180g dried pappardelle nests

15g basil leaves, finely shredded

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

Put the chicken, garlic head halves, onion, two litres of water and two and a quarter teaspoons of salt in a large saucepan for which you have a lid. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for 80 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a board, leave to cool slightly, then pull off the meat in large shreds; discard the skin, bones and cartilage. Strain the stock into a medium saucepan (discard the solids): you need 1.7 litres, so save any excess for another use. Keep warm on a low heat while you get on with everything else.

Put the oil in a large saucepan on a medium-high heat, then saute the carrot and celery for four minutes, until they start to soften. Add the crushed garlic, bay, thyme and parmesan rind, cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste, and cook for three minutes, until the tomatoes cook down slightly. Pour in 1.7 litres of hot stock, half a teaspoon of salt and a generous grind of pepper, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.

Ladle out 400g of the soup, about 50/50 liquid to solids (avoid the bay and rind), transfer to a blender and blitz smooth. Stir back into the soup pan and turn up the heat to medium-high. Add the pasta, chicken flesh and a good grind of pepper, and cook for 15 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Discard the bay leaves and parmesan rind.

Divide the soup between four bowls, top with the basil, chilli, a good grind of pepper and a sprinkling of grated parmesan, and serve with extra parmesan alongside.

Adas bil hamoud (aka sour lentil soup)

Versions of this soup, in which lemon is king, are found all over the Arab world. Mine is ever-changing, depending on what kind of stock I have in my freezer, or herbs in my fridge, so feel free to play around with the ingredients as you see fit. I like my soup super lemony, but adjust this to your taste, too. If using vegetable stock, consider adding a couple of teaspoons of miso paste to enrich the broth.

Yotam Ottolenghi’s adas bil hamoud (sour lentil soup).

Prep 25 min

Cook 1 hr

Serves 4-6

200g brown or green lentils

110ml olive oil

2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped

5 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1½ tbsp cumin seeds

3 lemons – finely shave the skin off 1 into 5 wide strips, then juice all 3 to get 75ml

Salt and black pepper

3 firm, waxy potatoes, such as desiree, peeled and cut into 4cm pieces (650g-700g net weight)

400g Swiss or rainbow chard, leaves and stalks separated, then roughly sliced

1 litre vegetable stock (or chicken or beef, if you prefer)

1½ tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped

2 spring onions, finely sliced on an angle

Put the lentils in a medium saucepan, cover with plenty of cold, lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils are nearly cooked but still retain a bite, then drain.

While the lentils are cooking, put 80ml oil in a large, heavy-based pot for which you have a lid, and put on a medium heat. Once hot, add the onions, garlic, cumin, lemon skin, two and a quarter teaspoons of salt and plenty of pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often, until very soft and golden. Stir in the potatoes, lentils and chard stalks, pour in the stock and 800ml water, bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and leave to cook for 20 minutes, or until the potato is soft but still holds its shape.

Turn off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and chard leaves, and leave to cook in the residual heat for two or three minutes, until wilted. Divide between four bowls, drizzle over the remaining two tablespoons of oil, garnish with the coriander and spring onion, and serve hot.

Herb, spinach and burnt aubergine soup

This soup draws on both Middle Eastern and Indian techniques, and is everything you’d want from a bowl: it is smoky from the burnt aubergine, earthy from the greens and spicy from the tempered oil.

Yotam Ottolenghi’s herb, spinach and burnt aubergine soup.

Prep 25 min

Cook 1 hr 25 min

Serves 4 as a starter

3 aubergines

3 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and black pepper

105ml olive oil, plus extra for greasing

2 onions, peeled and finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

60g coriander leaves, roughly chopped, plus 2 tbsp extra picked leaves

60g parsley leaves, roughly chopped, plus 2 tbsp picked leaves, to serve

40g dill leaves, roughly chopped, plus 2 tbsp picked leaves, to serve

5 spring onions, finely sliced

2½ tsp ground cinnamon

2½ tsp ground cumin

1⅛ tsp ground turmeric

400g baby spinach, finely shredded

500ml vegetable stock

1 red chilli, cut into ¼cm-thick slices

2 tsp black mustard seeds

Put a well-greased griddle pan on a high heat. Randomly poke the aubergines all over a few times with the tip of a small, sharp knife. Once the pan is smoking hot, lay in the aubergines and cook, turning occasionally, until deeply charred on the outside and softened inside – about 50 minutes. Don’t worry about over-charring them: the longer they cook, the better. Transfer the aubergines to a colander set over a bowl and leave to drain for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the blackened skin and stems, then tear the flesh into long strips. In a medium bowl, mix the aubergine flesh with a tablespoon of lemon juice, a third of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Set aside until needed.

While the aubergines are grilling, start on the soup. Heat four tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan on a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened and deeply browned – about 12 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant, then turn the heat to medium-low and add the chopped herbs, spring onions and three tablespoons of water. Leave to cook, stirring often so the herbs don’t catch, for about 15 minutes, until deeply green and fragrant. Turn up the heat to medium-high, add the cinnamon, cumin and a teaspoon of turmeric, cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the spinach, stock, 400ml water, a teaspoon and three-quarters of salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat, transfer 350g of the soup mix to a blender and blitz smooth. Stir the blitzed soup back into the pan, add the remaining two tablespoons of lemon juice, and keep warm.

For the tempered oil, put the chilli and remaining three tablespoons of oil in a small frying pan and turn the heat to medium. Leave to cook, stirring occasionally, until the chilli is translucent and glossy – 10-12 minutes. Add the mustard seeds, cook for a minute, stir in the final eighth of a teaspoon of turmeric, then immediately tip the mixture into a bowl to stop it cooking further.

To serve, divide the soup between four bowls. Stir the picked herbs into the aubergines, spoon on top of the soup, and finish with a drizzle of the tempered oil and spices.