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When the weather is cold, as it's been for the last month or more, nothing warms the soul like a big bowl of steaming soup, chili or stew. Ingredients that you have on hand make these one-pot meals ideal for busy, blustery wintery days. It's about soups today. Yes, I know that making soup can be a time consuming job, especially if you work outside of the home. My suggestion is perhaps when you're home on the weekend or on your days off from work, you can make soup while you're doing other things around the house. Even though there are just two of us in the house now, I always make a big batch so I can freeze some for a quick lunch or supper meal or bring some of it to one of the kids. One of our daughters is good at saying, "do you want the ham bone to make split pea soup?" Of course I do and then comes the reply, "You can give me some when it's done." Of course I will.

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So, I have soup recipes for you today. Let's start with a quick and easy chicken soup.

ITALIAN CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE SOUP

2 T. olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1 small onion, diced

1 c. thinly sliced carrots (about 3 small)

2-1/2 c. sliced zucchini (about 2 medium)

2 - 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano

2 - 14.5 oz. cans chicken broth

grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

In a dutch oven, or soup kettle, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir for 10 minutes. Add onion and carrots; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in zucs, tomatoes and broth.

Bring to a boil; lower heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes. Top each serving with Parmesan cheese if you wish. Makes 8-10 servings.

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MUSHROOM BARLEY SOUP

1-1/2 lbs. boneless beef chuck, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1 T. vegetable oil

2 c. diced onion

1 c. diced carrots

3/4 c. diced celery

1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced (or three 4 oz. cans mushrooms, drained)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 t. dried thyme leaves

one 14-1/2 oz. can beef broth

one 14-1/2 oz. can chicken broth

2 c. water

1/2 c. medium pearl barley

1/2 t. pepper

3 T. chopped fresh parsley

In a dutch oven or soup kettle, brown meat in oil. Remove meat with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Saute onions, carrots and celery in drippings over medium heat until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic and thyme; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add rest of ingredients, except parsley.

Return meat to kettle; bring to a boil. Lower heat; cover and simmer for one hour or until barley and meat are tender. (At this point you can walk away from the stove and do something else.)

Add parsley and cook just a couple minutes more before serving. Makes about 12 cups.

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Another quick and easy soup using hamburger.

BEEF NOODLE SOUP

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 c. diced onion

two 14-1/2 oz. cans beef broth

2 c. frozen mixed vegetables or 1-16 oz. can mixed vegetables, drained

1 t. dried oregano leaves

1/4 t. pepper

1 c. uncooked medium egg noodles

In a dutch oven or large soup kettle, brown beef and onion; drain off fat. Add broth, veggies and seasonings. Bring to a boil; add noodles. Lower heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the noodles are cooked. Makes 6-8 servings.

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Thought for today: Some points to ponder: Can vegetarians eat animal crackers? If a parsley farmer is sued, do they "garnish" his wages? Is there another word for synonym?

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