Soups for winter can include anything from home made tomato to chicken noodle . There are so many varieties that I’m guessing everyone could name their favorite.

What’s nice about soup is that although it seems time-consuming while making it the recipe can usually be doubled and you could easily have enough for a couple of meals.

Soup basics 101

I have been doing a little research and found a couple great sites that explain the basics for soup making. If you have the time you can easily make your own broth from vegetables.

This link shows just how this can be made. “Click here“. She really breaks down the steps to create your own stock that can be used for your favorite recipes. Once you get your stock made you can start your recipe. Of course, if you want to buy your own stock you can easily find vegetable, beef, and chicken stock in the soup aisle at your local grocery store.

The next thing needed for homemade soup would be fresh ingredients. Many fresh vegetables can be found year-round in the produce case at your local grocery store. Also when you plan your garden why not plant extra winter squash? It freezes up well and can be pulled out of the freezer for a great soup. Double-check your recipe for any herbs and seasonings you might need as well! Making one trip to the store is a real time-saver for everyone.

When it comes to adding meat it depends on your recipe on what kind to add and whether that should be cooked up before it is added to your soup. Here is a great chart that shows how much time each added ingredient needs to be cooked for your soup. Of course, you could easily boil your chicken in water in a separate pan and add it to your broth when done. According to Soup making for Dummies:

Ingredient	Cooking Time
Beans, dried (presoaked 8 hours)	1-1/2 hours to 2 hours
Beef cubes	2 to 3 hours
Chicken, bone in, pieces	40 minutes
Chicken, boneless	15 to 20 minutes
Fresh vegetables	10 to 15 minutes (45 to purée)
Greens (spinach and others)	3 to 5 minutes
Lentils, dried	15 to 30 minutes
Pasta, dried	8 to 12 minutes
Pearl barley	50 minutes to 1 hour
Potatoes, white or sweet (diced)	30 minutes
Rice, brown and wild	45 to 55 minutes
Rice, white	15 to 20 minutes
Root vegetables (beets, turnips, and so on)	15 to 35 minutes
Seafood, shelled or boneless	5 to 15 minutes

These cooking times are only guidelines, so adjust them as you see fit. Experiment and figure out what works for you.

So as you can see many things can be added to your broth to make home made soup at home!

As always the blog posts I write may contain affiliate posts which I earn a small commision at no charge to you!

Best Way to Cook Soup

Stockpots are described as a generic name for one of the most common types of cooking pot used worldwide. A stockpot is traditionally used to make stock or broth, which can be the basis for cooking more complex recipes. It is a wide pot with a flat bottom, straight sides, a wide opening to the full diameter of the pot, two handles on the sides, and a lid with a handle on top. The link below shows the stockpot that received high marks on the Tasty Kitchen website along with some great tips on the basics to look for when buying a stockpot!

Use of the Stockpot

A stockpot is the largest cooking pot in the kitchen. There are 8, 12, 16, and 20-quart stockpot, and as you can imagine the intended use will determine the size chosen. If you are planning to cook family meals for the holidays and your family isn’t the small kind, a larger pot is preferable. At the same time, if you need a stockpot for canning or professional use, you’ll have to pick the bigger pot. Smaller pots work well for smaller families.

Use of Material

The construction material determines if the pot is easy to clean, how heat distributes, the flavor of the food, and the durability of the pot. The most common materials used are stainless steel and aluminum.

Heavy Duty Bottom

The pot will hold a large amount of food, and for all that food to cook well, the base should be thick and heavy to heat up and distribute heat evenly. Most pots on the market have thick aluminum bases. The base is either an aluminum core or an aluminum base disk.These heavy bases work well since they prevent food from burning. They also add to the stability of the pot.

Weight

The weight depends on the materials used in construction as well as the dimensions of the pot. Regardless of the size, go for a pot that offers a nice and comfortable balance.

Handles

Riveted handles are secure and will make carrying the pot easy especially when full. The handle must be strong enough and also have enough space for holding the pot.

Lids

Make sure that the lids fit snug. Lids are either made with materials similar to those making up the pot and in some cases, you’ll find the ones made of tempered glass. Though the glass can break at some point, it makes it easy to monitor food.

Can I cook soup in a crock pot or slow cooker?

Ok so you would love to cook up a batch of soup but your schedule just doesn’t allow you that much time in the kitchen why not put your slow cooker or crockpot to work for you! According to Wiki How, as long you follow a few basic steps you can easily make your soup on a slow cooker!

Nearly any soup can be prepared in a slow cooker, but the cooking process varies from what you might expect when preparing soup on the stove. Prepare and layer the ingredients in the best possible way to ensure even cooking, and add each ingredient to the soup at the right time to prevent common mishaps.

Thaw your ingredients.

Cut your ingredients into even pieces.

Trim the fat.

Brown the meat.

PART 2 Start your Soup

Put in the heartiest vegetables. Layer all root vegetables on the bottom of the slow cooker before adding any other ingredients.

Add the meat and desired spices.

Layer on less hearty vegetables. These would include onions, garlic, tomatoes & celery.

Pour in the broth. Only pour enough to cover ingredients 1/2 inch. Cooking in a slow cooker uses much less stockpot liquid than on top of the stove. If your recipe calls for dairy products wait to add it.

Cover and cook. Place the lid on your slow cooker and turn on the heat. Most soups should cook on high for three to four hours or on low for six to eight hours.

A Couple of Delicious Recipes

I have included a couple of delicious recipes that I hope you try! When making soups I love using my immersion blender to make certain ones creamier! Here’s the link that I explain about the one I use~ BLENDER https://www.rosesmorningcoffee.com/what-is-an-immersion-blender/

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Delicious & Quick Soup

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

10 oz. Frozen Broccoli ( can use fresh )
1/2 Cup onion
2 Cup Chicken Broth
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 Cup Velveeta cheese cubed
2 Cups Milk
1/4~1/2 Cup Butter
1/3 Cup Flour

Instructions

Cook Broccoli and onion in chicken stock for about 10 minutes.
Add pepper, garlic salt and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.
Add Milk and butter and heat through.
Thicken with 1/3 Cup flour mixed with 1/2 C water or chicken broth
Stir and Heat for 10 minutes.
Do NOT Boil.
If you want a creamier soup use your immersion blender at this time.

Lasagna Soup

Delicious soup that tastes like lasagna