Soups are to cool weather as salads are to warm weather. Fireplace evenings are just around the corner with their images of a cheerful blaze, a cup of hearty soup, a loaf of French bread, a glass of wine and thou.

Some soups are hearty enough to be a meal in themselves, especially those with meat, fish or sausage and vegetables. Soups lend themselves to the “kitchen sink” phenomenon – throw in whatever you like.

I like to start with a basic recipe or a good stock and then add my choice of animal protein whether it’s hot Italian sausage, a beef bone, a can of salmon, lamb stew chunks, etc. I then decide which vegetables; fresh, frozen or canned will go well. Next, it’s a starch. Cubed potatoes? Rice? Barley? Noodles? Last but probably most important is the seasoning. Salt and pepper need to be added, of course and maybe Tabasco. What about herbs? Fresh parsley, basil, oregano and even nutmeg may be good choices. When you experiment with the seasonings, first try them out with a little soup in a small bowl. Add the merest pinch of “whatever” and taste. That way you won’t destroy the whole kettle with a seasoning error.

One of the advantages of making soup is that the flavor improves with age. So you can make enough at one time for two meals. All of the following recipes can successfully be doubled. Soups will keep in the refrigerator for at least three days.

Chicken Stock

A great way to use a carcass!

After you’ve picked the meat off a cooked chicken, save the bones for stock.

Or. If you plan in advance, you can save the wings, necks and backs from chickens you’ve cut up – it’s an economical way of using parts you’d ordinarily throw away. Save them in freezer bags until you are ready to use them for stock. If you accumulate them, you can make a big pot of stock, and the leftover stock itself freezes well, too.

When ready to use, cover the frozen bones or parts with water. For each set of bones use 3 cups water. Add 1 carrot, 1 stalk celery, 1 chopped onion, 1 sprig parsley, pinch thyme or poultry seasoning.

Cover and simmer for several hours or until the meat falls off the bones.

At this point, you can either strain the stock to be used in cream soups, or remove the bones and gristle and whir the stock with the vegetables in the blender if it is to be used for hearty soups. Add salt and pepper to taste. Use immediately or freeze.

Farmhouse Vegetable Soup

1 medium onion, chopped

1 bunch leeks, including the tops

1 tablespoon butter

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 each green bell pepper and red bell pepper, cut into strips

3 cups chicken stock (canned or homemade – hearty or strained)

2 medium potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed and cubed

3 carrots, scraped and thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas

1 cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated nutmeg for garnish

Sauté onions and leeks in the butter until limp. Stir in green and red bell peppers. Cover and sauté over low heat for 1 minute. Add stock, potatoes, carrots, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Stir in milk, parsley and peas. Heat until soup is heated through and peas are just tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with nutmeg. Serves 4.

NOTE: To add protein, toss in cubes of cooked chicken with the peas.

Scottish Broth

5 cups chicken stock (canned or homemade – hearty or strained)

1/4 cup barley

1 bay leaf

2 carrots, scraped and thinly sliced

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 cup chopped onions

2 tablespoons crumbled dried sage

1 tablespoon lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup diced cooked lamb or chicken

Combine chicken stock, barley and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add carrots, celery, onion, and sage. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, and cooked meat. Serves 4.

Continental Vegetable – Cheese Chowder

1 cup dry lima beans

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

4 leeks, sliced, including tops

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 large onion, sliced

1/2 small head green cabbage, shredded

4 cups chicken stock (canned or homemade – hearty or strained)

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

3 tablespoons unwhipped whipping cream

1 1/2 cups shredded Edam cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Wash and sort beans; cover with cold water and soak overnight. Drain.

Cover beans with fresh water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until tender. Set aside. Do not drain.

Melt butter in large soup kettle.

Add leeks, celery, onion, and cabbage. Sauté for 10 minutes or until tender but not browned. Add beans and chicken stock. Simmer for 25 minutes.

Add parsley, cream and cheese. Heat through but do not allow to boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.

Vegetable Soup with Meatballs

1 pound lean ground beef

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 bunches green onions with tops, cut into 1/4 -inch lengths

4 cups beef stock or 4 cups water and 4 beef bouillon cubes

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 small head cabbage, shredded

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 can (48 ounces) tomato juice

1/2 cup macaroni shells

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon fresh or teaspoon dried basil leaves

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Fresh parsley to garnish

Make the meatballs – thoroughly mix the meat with egg, salt, pepper and green onions. Shape into 1-inch balls. Set aside.

Bring broth to a boil. Drop meatballs and rest of ingredients except parsley into boiling broth. Reduce heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

Serve with a garnish of fresh parsley. Serves 4.

NOTE: All the above soups are hearty enough to serve as a main dish. Serve with crusty French bread, cheese and, if desired, a salad. All the above recipes can successfully be doubled.