Homemade soup provides a hearty, healthy and often fast meal

After picking meat off the bones from two roasted chickens, my daughter was about to toss the carcasses into the garbage when I reminded her, "That's the best part."

Indeed it is. Whether it's the ready-roasted supermarket hen that you picked up on the way home from work, the leftover ham bone from the holiday dinner or the beef bones left on the serving platter, the remains of the meal are not scraps to discard, but treasured ingredients to form the basis of stock, the foundation of soup.

It's so automatic for me that before I clean up the kitchen post-dinner, I have filled the soup pot with water and added leftover bones and bits of meat, a few coarsely chopped vegetables (onion, carrot, celery, the latter with leafy tops if I've planned ahead) and aromatics (bay leaf, peppercorns).

It's what I call my free meal — waste not, want not — simmered with the bits and pieces of produce found in my refrigerator crisper. No need for the vegetables to be at their best as their last remaining flavors will be extracted in the broth. The bones from the roasted meat result in a dark stock with plenty of flavor.

It's perfectly fine to use uncooked meat with bones (chicken breasts or thighs, turkey neck bones, for example) to make the stock. But the richness of roasted meat bumps up the flavor in a way that suits me. (A lighter-colored, more delicate chicken stock will be the result of preparing it with raw meat.)

No leftover bones? You can always brown or roast the bones before you start making the stock.

QUICK CHICKEN STOCK

Makes about 14 cups

16 cups store-bought chicken stock

2 pounds chicken parts (necks, backs, breast bones, wings, etc.)

2 onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 carrot, sliced

1 rib celery, sliced

6 whole black peppercorns

3 parsley stems

1 bay leaf

1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme

Preparation

In large stockpot, combine stock, chicken parts, onions, garlic, carrot, celery, peppercorns, parsley stems, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook at a very low simmer for 45 minutes. Strain and degrease stock.

BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP

Serves six

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 (14.5-ounce) cans (or about 3-1⁄2 cups) chicken or vegetable stock

2 cups milk or half-and-half

1 large chopped onion

2 (12-ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli, or broccoli cuts, thawed (see cook's notes)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pinch of ground nutmeg

1⁄2 cup Parmesan cheese or sour cream, for garnish

Cook's notes: If preferred, substitute 4 cups chopped fresh broccoli instead of frozen.

Preparation

Melt butter over medium heat in a 4- to 6-quart stockpot.

Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring, for about two minutes, to make a roux.

Add stock, milk, onion and broccoli and stir well. Turn up the heat and allow mixture to come to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and let mixture cook until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool a few minutes. Puree until smooth in two batches in a stand blender or with a hand-held blender.

Return to pot and add the cheddar, stirring until cheese is melted. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Ladle into heated bowls and garnish with a heaping tablespoon of Parmesan or sour cream, if desired.

Source: From "Soup's On" by Valerie Phillips.

WILD MUSHROOM AND ORZO SOUP WITH ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Serves six to eight

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, minced

1-1⁄2 pounds wild mushrooms, sliced

1 rib celery, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

6 cups beef or chicken stock

Italian Meatballs (recipe follows; see cook's notes)

1 cup uncooked orzo

1⁄4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1⁄4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish

Freshly ground black pepper

Cook's notes: If you decide to substitute store-bought meatballs for homemade, you may want to resize them (packaged ones tend to be large). Cut the large meatballs in half and reroll them into a ball that is better suited for a soup bowl.

Preparation

In large pot, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until starting to soften, about two minutes. Add mushrooms, celery, salt, basil and oregano; sauté until vegetables begin to soften and mushrooms have released their liquid, about five minutes.

Add stock and bring to boil. Carefully add meatballs and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until meatballs are cooked through and vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and bring soup to a boil. Stir in orzo and boil until tender, about eight minutes. Add parsley, lemon juice, cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into heated bowls and pass additional cheese at the table.

Source: From "300 Sensational Soups" by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds.

ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Makes about 32 meatballs (enough for eight servings of soup)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 ounces lean ground beef

8 ounces lean ground veal

8 ounces regular or lean ground pork

1 egg

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1⁄4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1⁄4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon dried basil

1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano

1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until starting to soften, about two minutes. Add garlic and sauté until onion is softened, about two minutes. Let cool for five minutes.

In large bowl, using your hands, combine onion mixture, beef, veal, pork, egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, salt, basil, oregano and pepper. To taste for seasoning, heat a small skillet over medium heat and fry a spoon-sized patty until no longer pink. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper, if necessary. Roll into small meatballs about 1-1⁄2 inches in diameter.

Source: From "300 Sensational Soups" by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds.

WHITE BEAN, CHICKEN AND PESTO SOUP

Serves eight

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 rib celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cans (14 to 19 ounces each) cannellini or white kidney beans, drained and rinsed (see cook's notes)

3 cups shredded cooked chicken (see cook's notes)

1⁄4 cup pesto (store-bought or your own), divided use

2 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Extra-virgin olive oil

Cook's notes: Think of this as a "from the pantry" soup. Substitute any kind of canned bean or leftover meat, such as ham, pork or beef. The vinegar at the end of cooking heightens the flavor.

Preparation

In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, about six minutes. Add garlic, celery, carrot, oregano and cayenne; sauté for two minutes.

Stir in stock, salt and black pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are softened, about 20 minutes. Add beans, chicken, 2 tablespoons pesto, vinegar; heat until steaming, about five minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper, if necessary.

Ladle into heated bowls and garnish each with a small dollop of remaining pesto and a drizzle of olive oil.

Source: From "300 Sensational Soups" by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds.