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 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, or meatballs. I then decide which vegetables whether 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 or dried 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, and all are hearty enough to serve as a main dish. Serve with crusty French bread, cheese and a salad. Refrigerated soups will keep for at least three days.

If you do not have stock on hand, do not despair! You can make these recipes using one bouillon cube and one cup water for each cup of stock required.

Chicken Stock

A great way to use a carcass!

You need to think in advance – save the wings, necks and backs from chickens and freeze them in freezer bags.

When ready to use, cover the frozen bones 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 for each 3 cups of water.

Sometimes I use the remains of those supermarket ready-roasted chickens. They are already well seasoned, so they may need no further seasonings except for perhaps some herbs.

Cover and simmer for several hours or until the meat falls off the bones. Carefully remove the bones with a slotted spoon. Pick off the meat and set aside for the soup. If stock is not strong enough, toss in one or two bouillon cubes to give it more body.

At this point, strain the stock to be used in cream soups, or, if you have put the meat back into the stock, puree in the blender for use in a 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)

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. For extra cooked chicken, drop a boneless chicken breast into the soup while it’s cooking. Remove and cool; chop and return to the soup.

Scotch Broth

5 cups chicken stock (canned or homemade)

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.

For cooked chicken, drop a boneless chicken breast into the soup while it’s cooking. Remove and cool; chop and return to the soup.

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)

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, thinly sliced

4 cups chicken stock (canned or homemade) or beef stock

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 and 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.