Introduction

There are, admittedly, a couple of things that can make us as happy as a great bowl of soup makes us. The love of a child? Sure. World peace? That sounds nice. But let’s be honest: That stuff is tricky and time-consuming. And frankly, it is not nearly as dependable as the easy, economical alchemy—let’s call it magic—of transforming a pile of roasted bones and cut-up vegetables into a steaming stockpot of comfort that will nourish you for a week. Hot or cold, rigorously simple or riotously complex, soups and stews are the endlessly adaptable answers to the riddle of life’s bounty and the nagging question of what to cook on a Tuesday night with a can of beans and some kale wilting in the fridge.