There are several ways to make soup stock, depending on what kind of soup you’re making. The important thing is that you do actually make a stock—instead of starting with water—because that’s what makes soups wonderful and complex.
The basic method is to add flavorful ingredients to cold water and bring it to a boil. You can use a wide variety of ingredients, such as veggies (roughly chopped, peels and all), herbs, spices, meat (with or without skin), bones and seafood shells. If you’re a vegetarian, don’t worry—you can make a wonderfully rich stock with no meat. Then just let it all simmer for a couple hours. Strain out the liquid and refrigerate, freeze or use immediately as the base of your next scrumptious soup. For more detailed instructions on the basics of soup-making, check out Warming Winter Soups.
— Tabitha Alterman, senior associate editor, Mother Earth News
