Just Soup (& sandwiches & salads) / Solo Sopa

Rich, hot beer-cheese soup may not sound like ideal summer fare, but this version is made with a warm-weather cookout star—smoky grilled brats—that transform it into a dish that's seasonally appropriate. Flavored with cheddar and spiked with a bit of Velveeta for improved texture, it's my go-to meal when I want a taste of my Midwestern roots.

Whether you call it Bang Bang Chicken (named after the sound that a pounding mallet makes when tenderizing the tough chicken breasts of yesteryear) or Mysterious Flavor Chicken, this classic cold Sichuan chicken salad dressed with Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, sesame, and chili oil, can be updated using a few modern techniques. Cooking the chicken breasts directly in a bag with aromatics guarantees ultra-moist and flavor-packed chicken without the need for any banging at all.

Mixing mayonnaise into chicken salad is the most common way to add moisture, but it's not the only way. Vinaigrette works well too, like this tangy Korean-inspired rendition with kimchi, pine nuts, and lots of fresh ginger.

A smoky flavor plus additions like cider vinegar, celery seeds, hot sauce, and paprika make for a delicious and unusual chicken salad.

A mixture of cooked chicken and creamy curry-flavored dressing is often served either on a salad or as the filling of a sandwich. The dish has regained some popularity recently with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, which is celebrated throughout this year.

A salad made for the Buffalo wing lover in your life.

Perfectly cooked chicken schnitzel, like the version here, is juicy and tender, with a golden, crunchy exterior that is almost impossible to resist.

Made with a rich pork broth, tart sorrel, spring onions, and green garlic, this green borsch celebrates the abundance of spring and early summer.

The sous-vide cooker is the best way to guarantee the juiciest, tenderest, most flavor-packed chicken salad. Adding aromatics directly to the cooking bag guarantees more flavorful results.

A crisp cucumber kimchi, no fermentation required.

A crunchy, creamy cucumber salad made with tahini, lemon, and fresh dill.

Creamed corn gets a Southwestern (and fast food!) twist with Chipotle corn salsa. The finished dish is studded with smoky bacon, a touch of lime zest and juice, and a final flourish of cilantro or scallions to cut through the creamy, fatty sauce.

There are only a few simple steps to a perfect watermelon, feta, and mint salad. This easy recipe lays it out.

This is the kind of tuna melt you're likely to be served in a Jewish deli, where rye bread, Swiss cheese, and a dill-and-pickle tuna salad are kings.

This tuna melt comes with all the bells and whistles: mashed avocado, sliced tomato, crispy bacon, pickled jalapeños, and melted cheese in two forms.

Red peppers and eggplant roasted over a wood fire give this sweet and tangy Serbian sauce a pleasing smokiness.

Tender, well-marbled steak, sautéed onions, and melty provolone cheese served in a soft but sturdy hoagie roll define this classic Philly sandwich.

Cold, nutty soba noodles pair perfectly with a soy sauce and mirin dipping sauce.

Clingy, velvety sauce, starchy noodles, and fresh vegetables.

This Florida-inspired sandwich is the definition of simple perfection: fillets of white-fleshed fish, coated in a paprika-based spice rub and grilled until dark and juicy, stuffed into soft and tender bread with classic condiments.

On paper, the chacarero chileno sandwich seems...weird. Grilled beef, sliced tomato, and cooked green beans. But when done properly, it works. Prove it to yourself by trying this recipe.

Ensure moist and tender boneless chicken breasts on the grill every time with this ultimate guide to the sous-vide-que cooking method. By starting the boneless chicken breasts in a low and slow sous vide water bath then finishing them with a flavorful touch of smokiness on the grill and you've got chicken perfection.

Packed with crushed potato chips, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and two different sauces, this grilled chicken sandwich is surprisingly quick and easy.

When I was growing up, miso soup was something of a special event in our house. My grandma presented it with a great flourish in little black lacquer bowls with matching lids on a black lacquer tray. When you removed the lid, a puff of steam escaped like magic. Below was cloudy, mysterious. We plunged the murky, brackish depths for little cubes of tofu, rubbery emwakame/em, and sharp scallion.

A rustic stew whipped up by Argentine fishermen and home cooks, chupín is packed with meaty pieces of fish, tender potatoes, and lots of vegetables.

Here's how to make your own Shack Burger at home, including a homemade version of Shack Sauce.

We've taken the classic flame-grilled flavor of the Whopper, complete with the exact right ratio of toppings and beef, and upgraded it with better ingredients, better layering, and better technique to form a burger that's truly fit for The King.

This chicken salad spread is a basic recipe that allows for adding a variety of flavors and textures. It has a finer consistency than chicken salad.

Mix up your classic chicken salad with this summery variation made with sweet corn, avocado, and the juiciest poached chicken tossed with a light and creamy miso dressing.

Fried shrimp, oysters, and fish are all great options for stuffing into a rémoulade-slathered roll with lettuce, tomato, and pickles for this classic Louisiana sandwich.