Soup Tips

A. With one-dish meals increasingly popular for weeknight dining, soup is more than just an accompaniment to supper. And while canned soup requires little effort -- a quick warm-up on the stove or in the microwave -- it's no substitute for a bowl of the homemade stuff.

A good stock or broth, flavorful ingredients, and appropriate seasonings can create a tasty pot of soup. Taking advantage of fresh, seasonal ingredients is best, but using canned or frozen vegetables and refrigerated leftovers can work out just fine.

High-quality stock is the backbone of any soup recipe. Although not difficult to make, stock does require a couple hours of cooking time, but the flavorful result is well worth the effort. Making stock also is a great way to use up items that would otherwise be thrown out, such as bones, shells, celery leaves, and carrot tops.

Stock freezes well, so you can save unused portions for future recipes. If you're freezing the stock rather than using it immediately, cool it quickly in a bowl of ice water, and freeze or refrigerate it immediately. To make a tasty soup out of stock, add your choice of meat, vegetables, seasonings, rice, or noodles, and simmer until tender.

A. Stock is a lot easier to make than you might think. Here are some easy recipes for chicken, beef, and vegetable stock:

A. Traditionally, roux (flour cooked in fat or melted butter) was used to thicken creamy soups and sauces. Today, however, an easier and more waistline-friendly approach is to use the main ingredients themselves as thickening components.

For an easy cream soup, sauté some minced onion in butter, add the chopped vegetable of your choice, cover with chicken or vegetable broth and simmer until the vegetables are soft. Purée most or all of the cooked soup in a food processor or blender, return the soup to the pot and finish by stirring in a bit of heavy cream or milk at the end for flavor. Voilà! Cream soup!