The first recipe is the most basic of green soups, a template for any of the variations described in the LETTER. You can substitute about a pound and a half of any good leafy greens for the chard and kale - spinach, turnip greens, watercress - whatever. And remember, combinations of greens are often more delicious than just one kind.

The next recipe, Green Soup With Mushrooms, is just as flexible - any mushrooms you like will probably work just fine. Try mixing Italian browns with shitakes or portabellos.

Green Soup

1 big bunch chard (about 1 lb.)
1 bunch kale (1/2 lb.)
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1/2 bunch cilantro (about 1 cup, loosely packed)
5-6 cups water
1 tsp. salt, more to taste
1 large potato
2 onions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 1/2 tsps. olive oil
3-4 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1 Tbs. lemon juice, more to taste
fresh ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne

Wash the greens thoroughly, then cut the chard and kale off their stems and slice the leaves. Combine the chard, kale, green onions, and cilantro in a soup pot with the water and salt. Peel the potato, or just scrub it well if you prefer, cut it into big pieces and add it to the pot. Bring the water to a boil, turn down the flame, and let it simmer for about half an hour.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan and cook the chopped onions in it slowly, with a sprinkle of salt, until they are golden brown and soft. This will take up to forty-five minutes - don't hurry; you only need to give them a stir once in a while, and it's the slow cooking that develops the sweetness. If you like, you can deglaze the pan at the end with a bit of Marsala or sherry - not required, but a nice touch.

Add the caramelized onions to the soup. Put another teaspoon of oil in the pan and stir the chopped garlic in it for just a couple of minutes, until it sizzles and smells great. Add the garlic to the pot and simmer everything together for a few minutes more.

Add enough broth to make the soup a soup, and puree it in the blender in batches. Don't overprocess; anything with potatoes in it can get slimy if you work it too much.

Return the soup to the pot, bring it back to a simmer, and taste. Add salt as needed, grind in a little black pepper, add a pinch of cayenne, and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Stir well and taste again. Now you're on your own - correct the seasoning and serve big steaming bowls of green soup.

I like to garnish this soup. Some kind of crumbled white cheese is a natural - my favorites are Cotija, a dry Mexican white cheese, and feta. Parmesan cheese is also good. So are croutons, especially if they're made from rye or pumpernickel bread. Garlic croutons are the bomb, as my kids say. And of course, there's always sour cream, but since I like the low-fat quality of the soup, I use a spoonful of yogurt cheese instead.

This recipe makes about 8 generous servings.

1 large bunch chard (about 1 lb.)
2 bunches spinach (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
4 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt, more to taste
12 oz. mushrooms (Italian browns or portabellos are good)
4 cloves garlic
4 tsps. olive oil
2 Tbs. Marsala
2 large onions, chopped
2-3 leeks, white and light green only, chopped
3-4 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1 Tbs. lemon juice or rice vinegar, more to taste
black pepper
pinch of cayenne

Wash the chard and spinach thoroughly, and cut the chard off its thick stems. Simmer the greens in the water, with half a teaspoon salt.

Meanwhile, clean and slice the mushrooms and chop the garlic. Heat two teaspoons olive oil in a non-stick pan, throw the garlic in and stir it for a minute or two, until it just starts to turn golden. Add the mushrooms with a dash of salt and sauté them, stirring often, until they are sizzling and browning. Sprinkle the Marsala over them and stir again as it cooks away. Add the mushrooms to the soup.

In another pan, heat the remaining two teaspoons olive oil and add the chopped onions and leeks, with a sprinkle of salt. Cook them over low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and golden brown - a long time. Add the onions and leeks to the soup, deglazing the pan with some of the broth if you like.

Add the vegetable broth - a little more or less as needed - and simmer everything together for about ten minutes, then purée it in the blender in batches. Return the soup to the pot, add a dash of lemon juice, more salt if needed, fresh ground black pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Taste, and adjust to your own palate.

Serve this soup just as it is, or garnished with crumbled cheese, sour cream, or croutons. This makes 8 to 10 servings.