Recipes with bay leaves

A hearty Greek stew of tender veal cubes braised low and slow with whole pearl onions, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, cinnamon, and cloves. Sealed in a casserole and baked until meltingly soft, this stifado fills the kitchen with the warmest spiced aromas.

Cozy winter turkey chili: a lean, hearty chili with cooked turkey, kidney beans, tomatoes, green pepper, and warming chili-cumin spices. The lighter alternative to beef chili that doesn't taste like a compromise.

Homemade cream of mushroom soup built on a butter roux with 4 to 5 cups of fresh sliced mushrooms, celery, and onion, finished with half-and-half. No canned soup compares.

Thick, creamy Argentinean chicken stew loaded with chunky potatoes, carrots, and corn on the cob. Roasted chicken and a silky egg-cream finish make this South American comfort food unforgettable.

Kartoffelsuppe is the German farmhouse potato soup: sliced potatoes, onion, and celery sauteed then simmered until tender, mashed back into their own broth and finished with milk and butter. Rustic, ribbon-thick, comfort in a bowl.

Velvety carrot bisque built on a base of crispy bacon, mushrooms, scallions, and fresh thyme, simmered in chicken broth and finished with heavy cream. Silky, savory, and deeply warming.

Classic Coquilles St-Jacques with a curry twist. Poached scallops in a creamy curry-mushroom sauce, piped into shell dishes with buttery mashed potato borders, then broiled golden. Old-school French elegance.

Fish escabeche features fried fish fillets bathed in a hot vinegar marinade with peppers, onions, leeks, carrots, and garlic. A make-ahead Spanish dish that gets better overnight.

This isn't cream of garlic soup, but it has a creamy texture. As Julia says, "Because the garlic is boiled, its after-effects are at a minimum, and its flavor becomes exquisite, aromatic and almost undefinable."

Traditional British beef and kidney stew with pickled walnuts, carrots, and onions braised low and slow until the gravy turns thick and rich. A proper pub-style comfort dish for 4 to 6.

Bafla are Rajasthani wheat dough balls boiled in spiced moong dal, then baked until cracked and golden. Break them open, drizzle with ghee, and pour the aromatic dal right over top for a soul-warming vegetarian meal.

Lamb loin wrapped in puff pastry with a pistachio and chestnut puree stuffing, served with a juniper-and-thyme red wine reduction. A showstopper main course for special occasions.

If you're not in the mood for meat, try this scrumptious dish made with black eyed peas, squash, chili peppers and corn.

Poisson a la Provencale, French fish fillets flambeed in cognac and baked in a sieved Provencal tomato sauce with mushrooms, fennel, garlic, and bay leaf. Served over rice.

Indian-style fried potatoes simmered in a tomato curry with asafetida, fenugreek, fennel, mustard seeds, and turmeric. Bold, layered spice work over crispy potato cubes.

Hearty thirteen-bean soup with smoked pork, black beans, tomatoes, and a splash of sherry. Half pureed for a thick, creamy texture with whole beans in every spoonful.

Greek mushroom salad: button mushrooms simmered in olive oil, white wine, and lemon with bay, thyme, coriander, and fennel seed. A meze-style cold mushroom salad served the Mediterranean way.

Greek lobster plaki simmered in tomato sauce with saffron, white wine, fennel, orange juice, and fresh herbs. A luxurious Mediterranean seafood dish served over saffron rice.

A big-batch, three-meat chili of beef, pork, and chicken, with the beef marinated overnight in burgundy wine, then slow-simmered for hours with beer, Sauterne, and a wallop of chiles. Serious chili for a crowd.

Creole shrimp gumbo simmers a dark roux with shrimp, crabmeat, oysters, okra, tomatoes, and the holy trinity. Louisiana-style seafood stew served over hot rice with a kick of Tabasco.

Rabbit with tomatoes and herbs: bacon-wrapped pieces rubbed with thyme and garlic, browned then simmered in a fresh tomato sauce. A rustic European-style dinner ready in 50 minutes.

Navy bean borscht with beef, bacon, kielbasa, beets, cabbage, and potatoes in a sweet-sour broth. A hearty Polish-style beet soup thickened with a butter-flour paste and topped with sour cream.

Old-school Hasen pfeffer, German-style braised rabbit marinated two days in spiced vinegar, browned in butter, and finished with a swirl of sour cream. Traditional Pennsylvania Dutch comfort food.

Lobster tomato bisque builds layers of flavor from flambeed lobster shells, white wine, tomatoes, tarragon, and cream, finished with reserved lobster meat and lobster-infused butter. Classic French restaurant technique.

Absolutely creamy and delicious way to prepare thrifty chicken legs and thighs.

Smooth pureed yellow split pea soup with potato, celery, caraway, mace, and bay leaf. A vegan family-recipe soup with subtle warm spice notes setting it apart from typical green split pea.

Irish potted herrings baked in Guinness stout and vinegar with bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, and onion rings. A traditional cold fish dish with deep, malty tang.

Hearty low-fat vegetable soup with potatoes, zucchini, squash, carrots, pureed tomatoes, and kidney beans. Oil-free and loaded with garden veggies, this make-ahead soup tastes even better the next day.

Kotopoulo me bamyes, Greek chicken with okra in a cinnamon-scented tomato-wine sauce. A classic Greek summer stew with tender chicken, silky okra, and warm aromatic spice. Served with potatoes.

Cincinnati-style chili with ground beef, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, and tomato paste simmered 2 to 4 hours, served over vermicelli with cheddar and raw onion.

Diced bass mixed with tomato, onion, thyme, and bay leaves, wrapped in mashan leaves and steamed. A traditional Guatemalan fish tamale (tashmul) that's rustic, aromatic, and ready in 40 minutes.

Poached salmon barely simmers in white wine, water, coriander seed, and bay leaf for tender flake-apart fish in 15 minutes. The lowest-effort, healthiest way to cook salmon at home.

Silky pureed chestnut soup with roasted chestnuts, herbs, and a splash of marsala or sherry. Serve it hot for winter warmth or chilled for an elegant summer starter.

Hearty and very meaty with the crunch of earthy walnuts.

Slow cooker minestrone hamburger soup loaded with ground beef, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and tomatoes. Dump everything in the Crock-Pot and let it simmer all day.

Classic Provencal fish stew from Toulon with assorted fish, mussels, and crawfish in a silky egg yolk-thickened broth. Fennel, leeks, and garlic croutons round out this elegant one-pot.

Poaching can be done with or without a lid. Covering the pan will increase the temperature of the poaching liquid.

Vegetarian saffron rice timbales stuffed with spicy black beans and topped with fresh avocado-tomato salsa. A stunning three-component plant-based main dish.

French ratatouille of eggplant, zucchini, peppers, tomato, onion and garlic, stewed in olive oil with thyme and bay leaf. Each vegetable cooked separately first so nothing turns to mush. Serve hot or cold.

Venison roast marinated overnight in vinegar, then braised with claret wine, cream of mushroom soup, and bay leaves until melt-in-your-mouth tender. A hunter's take on the French classic.

A low-fat vegetable soup loaded with zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, leeks, and stewed tomatoes, spiked with chili powder and oregano. A crumble of blue cheese on each bowl adds a savory finish.

Roasted beet puree with a seven-herb and spice crust of oregano, thyme, fennel seed, coriander, rosemary, and peppercorns. Finished with butter for a glossy, earthy side dish.

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Braised baby goat with ground saffron-almond paste, pancetta, tomatoes, and potatoes. A one-pot Mediterranean stew with deep, complex flavor built from that almond-saffron base.

Creamy fish soup with fennel, hake and flounder, simmered in homemade fish stock with leek, carrot, and lovage. A two-fish European-style chowder finished with sour cream and chopped fennel fronds.

Fideus with clams features toasted vermicelli cooked in homemade fish stock with steamed clams, topped with a chive-garlic mayonnaise. A Spanish-inspired seafood pasta worth the effort.

Rich roasted lamb stock made from rack bones and trimmings with tomatoes, mirepoix, garlic, and thyme. A deep, savory base for soups, sauces, and braises.

Aloo matar rasedaar: North Indian potato and pea curry in a thin tomato gravy with garam masala, ghee, and warming whole spices. The 25-minute weeknight vegetarian comfort dish.