Beef Stew

You start all good soups out with a good soup stock. I recommend you use a homemade bone broth for your soup base - chicken, beef, lamb, and fish are all wonderful. Choose which to use based on the soup you'd like to make. If you're not sure, chicken stock is almost always a safe, flavorful bet.

Next you choose your meats. Lean, juicy meats are the best for soups. Again, you choose what you want based upon your recipe. Beef, veal, lamb, chicken, turkey, fish, and shellfish are all good candidates for a tasty soup. Tender, fresh meats make for a delightful soup, but you can also use tougher cuts of meat for hearty stews. Get fresh meat regardless of the tenderness - a stale meat can ruin your soup (and possibly your health!)

Soups call for mingling of all flavors, and you don't particularly want one to overcome the other. However, there are stews that are strongly flavored, such a beef stew featuring balsamic vinegar. These are fine, and use your judgement and decide how your family likes the meal.

I don't want you to get the impression that soups are complicated. They're actually not. In fact, soups are usually really easy. Some may require a little more effort - but if you have a good soup stock and high-quality ingredients, your soup is probably going to taste good!

The beauty of a soup is that you often just throw the ingredients in a pot and let it simmer for a few hours, then enjoy a rich, flavorful dish. If you use homemade soup stocks it's not only tasty, it's healing. Homemade chicken soup really does help heal the body.

To get the best flavor from your soup plan a few hours for it to cook and keep it at a gentle simmer. You don't want to boil it to death. You can cook your soup with or without a lid. Many chefs swear that soups should be cooked in a pot with a lid. I haven't noticed much difference and my family doesn't complain much. I like using soup recipes. They generally remove all uncertainty with making a good soup - they outline completely what will make the soup tasty! Just follow your recipe. Add the meats and veggies it calls for.

If it calls for water to start with you can usually use a broth. In fact, I always use broth in a soup that calls for water unless you're adding a bone to the soup (such as a ham bone or beef bones). Using a broth will give you a more flavorful soup. Some recipes, like those for beet soups, will state not to use broth. In that case, follow the recipe.

Add any herbs, spices, and flavored oils and vinegars the recipe calls for. If you're new to cooking and new to soups, measure out just what the recipe describes. After you've been making the soup for awhile you can get more adventurous. You'll find you get a feel for how much of "this or that" to add to your soup to give it the best flavor.

Some soups call for ingredients to be added just before serving. Lemon or lime juice is one ingredient often added just before serving a bean soup. Even if you feel unsure about the taste I recommend you give it a try - these ingredients often add a delicious taste to the soup. They give it more character and flavor. Pay attention to the serving instructions - some soups should be served with garnishes such as cream or cheese. With a little practice you'll soon become good at putting together a quick soup. Soups are easy, filling, and tasty ways to please your family on cold days!

Kristen has been writing articles for just over 4 years. Come visit her latest website about choosing ring slings for babies, which helps people find the best ring slings and information they are looking for about baby carriers.

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