Recipes with bay leaves

French onion soup builds slow-cooked golden onions on a thyme-and-bay-scented chicken broth, topped with toasted French bread and broiler-bubbled Gruyere. Bistro classic ready in under an hour.

Traditional Irish stew with cubed lamb, potatoes, carrots, and onions simmered slowly with a bouquet garni of bay, thyme, and rosemary. The simple cottage-kitchen recipe that defines Irish home cooking.

Vegetable curry with potatoes and tomatoes cooked in ghee with whole cumin, coriander, garam masala, and fresh ginger. A warming vegetarian one-pot dinner served over rice.

Pot roast with roasted vegetable sauce turns the braising veg into the gravy itself. Beef round roasts low and slow with tomatoes, red wine, thyme and bay, then the vegetables get pureed into a silky, spoon-it-over sauce.

Blanched escarole leaves stuffed with marinated chickpeas, fresh tomatoes, garlic, and white wine vinegar. A vegan, low-fat Italian appetizer served at room temperature.

Ancho chile, red pepper, and tomato soup: a silky Mexican-inspired pureed soup with rehydrated anchos, cabbage, and tomato, finished with creme fraiche and cilantro. Vegetarian and naturally gluten-free.

Grilled salmon en papillote with homemade basil-garlic butter, tomato slices, lemon, and bay leaf. Sealed in foil packets on the barbecue for a no-mess dinner.

Streamlined boeuf bourguignonne with beef chuck, bacon, garlic, and dry red wine simmered for two hours. A simplified take on the classic French stew with eight core ingredients.

Basic Cincinnati chili simmered, not browned, so the beef stays fine and silky, spiced with cinnamon, allspice, and cumin. Ladle it over spaghetti for a 3-way or onto a hot dog for a classic cheese coney.

Red lentil dal with a fragrant tadka of cumin seeds, onions, garlic, and cayenne fried in ghee, poured sizzling over smooth lentil puree. Classic Indian comfort food with bold spiced butter.

Five-day beans: a slow-cook project where dried limas soak, simmer with aromatics, rest, and finish under a crusty cream and breadcrumb topping. Bean heaven for patient cooks.

Slow cooker beef chili with pinto beans, six cloves of pureed garlic, green chiles, jalapenos, balsamic vinegar, and 6 tablespoons of chili powder. Cooks low and slow for deep flavor.

Everyone loves my hearty ground beef and bean chili!

Moros y Cristianos, the classic Cuban black beans and rice cooked together in one pot with garlic, oregano, bay leaf, and a splash of vinegar and white wine. Simple, soulful comfort food.

Mushroom vegetable barley soup with a full pound of fresh mushrooms, carrots, celery, and pearl barley simmered in chicken broth with thyme and nutmeg.

Sweetbreads poached with onion, shallot, thyme, and bay, then finished in cream and veal stock. A New York masterchef ravioli sauce built on luxury offal.

Minnesota-style clam chowder loaded with wild rice, potatoes, mushrooms, and cream. A Northwoods twist on New England chowder, finished with a splash of sherry before serving.

French onion soup with onions caramelized for 90 minutes, simmered in beef stock and white wine, then topped with crusty bread and bubbling Gruyère. Made a day ahead for the deepest flavor.

Red lentil dal with cinnamon sticks, fresh ginger, green chili, and lemon. A warming, naturally vegan lentil stew with Indian-inspired spices.

Vegetarian brown rice casserole baked with tomatoes, pine nuts, currants, and sauteed vegetables. A hearty one-dish meal with Mediterranean-style flavors.

Spiced wine punch infused overnight with honey, black pepper, saffron, bay leaves, and mashed dates. A medieval-style cold mulled wine, no stovetop required.

Vegetarian beans bourguignonne with pinto beans, red wine, mushrooms, and root vegetables in a thyme-scented tomato broth. A meatless spin on the French classic.

Traditional Mexican tortilla soup with fried tortilla strips simmered in a garlicky tomato broth with chili powder, topped with grated cheese. Simple, warming, and ready in 45 minutes.

So flavorful. Loved the topping varieties, and they went deliciously well with the soup. Will recommend this recipe.

French fish poached in champagne with onion, lemon, and thyme, finished with a silky egg yolk and champagne butter sauce. An elegant, classic technique that cooks the fillets in minutes.

Homemade vegetable stock in the pressure cooker in just 10 minutes at high pressure. Sauteed onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, and herbs for a rich, flavorful base.

Sweet-sour braised red cabbage with bacon, apples, cloves, red wine, and wine vinegar. A classic German-style side dish simmered until tender and glossy.

Slow-simmered ground beef chili with tomatoes, warm spices, and a long cooking time develops the deep flavors Cincinnati is famous for.

Beer-boiled shrimp chilled in a seasoned broth with bay leaf, peppercorns, and garlic. Serve cold with bowls of beer for dunking on a hot summer day.

Slow-simmered vegetable stock bursting with earthy aromatics and garden-fresh flavor, ready to elevate soups, risottos, and sauces from ordinary to extraordinary.

Texiana shrimp and rice, Tex-Mex one-pot with green chiles, toasted cumin, oregano, and shrimp simmered into pilaf-style rice. Border-state weeknight seafood main with cilantro and scallions on top.

This savory vegetable stock is quick and easy to make and is perfect to use when making soups.

Smoky chipotle black bean soup built from dried beans, cumin, oregano, and a bruised-cilantro bouquet. Finished with sherry, lime, and part-pureed for creamy-chunky texture.

Greek poached oranges in spiced mavrodaphne wine syrup with bay leaf and clove. A jewel-toned, make-ahead dessert that lets winter citrus shine without the oven.

Homemade vegetable broth simmered with leeks, fennel, turnips, carrots, mushrooms, herbs and white wine. A clear, flavorful stock base for vegetarian soups, risottos and braises. Yields 8 cups in under an hour.

Homemade vegetable broth simmered 3-4 hours with onions, garlic, carrots, celery, leeks, potatoes, and soy sauce. Freeze in containers for a rich, low-fat base for soups and stews.

Marinated olives infused with warm olive oil, crushed fennel seeds, bay leaves, garlic, and fresh lemon peel. A 24-hour Mediterranean appetizer that beats any deli counter version.

Turkey tomato soup with leftover cooked turkey, fresh tomatoes, bay leaf, and thyme in a simple chicken broth base. A homey, weeknight-fast way to turn Thanksgiving leftovers into a bright bowl.

Moroccan-style roast chicken with ginger, saffron, cilantro, and parsley, finished with a green olive and lemon zest pan sauce. Braised then roasted golden.

Big-batch Texas-style chili with ground beef, cumin, coriander, and a dash of cinnamon simmered for hours in tomato sauce and juice. No beans, all meat, feeds a crowd.

Hot spiced crab soup with whole cracked Dungeness crab simmered in a buttery white wine and chicken broth, spiked with garlic, cayenne, and hot pepper sauce. A messy, hands-on bowl built for cracking and slurping.

Short-cut chili con carne made in a slow cooker with lean ground beef, kidney beans, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire. A simple set-it-and-forget-it weeknight chili.

Red bean soup with beef, celery, lemon, and Worcestershire sauce, pressed through a sieve for a smooth, thick puree. A hearty old-fashioned bean soup ready in about 40 minutes.

Red beans and rice cooked the proper way: dried kidney beans simmered with bay and bell pepper, then the bean stock cooks the rice along with sauteed onion, pepper, garlic, and cumin. Vegetarian, deeply savory, all in one pot.

Parmesan garlic soup simmers a whole half-head of garlic into a mellow, sweet broth, then thickens it silky with a tempered egg, parmesan, and olive oil liaison. Ladled over a crouton, it's rustic comfort in a bowl.

Hearty lentil tomato sauce with dried lentils, fresh tomatoes, and Italian herbs simmered into a thick, protein-rich vegetarian pasta sauce. Meaty texture without the meat.

Mushrooms à la Grecque: mushrooms simmered in tomato, coriander seeds, bay, and garlic. A classic French-style braise served chilled as part of a meze or hot as a vegetarian side.

Spicy brown rice simmered with whole cardamom, cinnamon stick, turmeric, bay leaf, and black peppercorns. A fragrant, golden side dish with six simple ingredients.