Soups

Soups, like stews, are perfect weeknight fare. In a single pot the foundations of a nutritious dinner—protein, vegetable, and starch-—are combined and carried in a tasty broth. Soups are appropriate any time of the year, the range of flavor possibilities is infinite, and they make use of all sorts of ingredients—both fresh and leftover. I can’t think of an easier way to make dinner, which is what these soups are—the main course not just the starter.

If it’s soup for dinner during the week, it can’t take longer than an hour to prepare and cook. And, it has to include protein: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or some complementary protein combination, like beans and grains. Once I’ve decided on the main protein, I build my soup around it. The soup will also include a foundation of seasoning vegetables, a liquid of some sort, the herbs and spices that will give it a distinctive identity, additional vegetables for color and nutrition, and perhaps a starch for body.