Fall is definitely here. Though midday weather is gorgeous, the mornings and evenings are quite chilly. That makes me think "Soup" — hearty and filling, warm and comforting. 

Making soup always seemed terribly complicated. In truth, it really isn't, especially if you use store bought stock. Homemade stock is great and I do that when I have a turkey or chicken carcass or a ham bone to use. (Freeze the carcass when you buy a rotisserie chicken. Two or three of those make a nice pot of stock.) But for a quick pot of soup that you can make on a work night, store bought stock works just fine. I always get the reduced sodium kind because most stock is way too salty for my taste.  (Even with low-sodium stock, I add no additional salt.) 

Start by sauteeing your onions and celery in a bit of olive oil or butter, just to soften them up. Then you add the stock, followed by fresh or dried herbs, spices, vegetables, and noodles (or rice or barley). Do harder vegetables (carrots, potatoes, etc.) earlier than soft veggies since they have to cook longer.  Save the noodles and greens for last since they cook fast. Once the veggies and the noodles are soft, you have soup!

To give soups a bit more substance, withdraw a cup or so and toss it in a blender before adding it back to the soup pot. This works especially well with bean and potato soups.  Also, you can add a bit of butter just before serving to add extra smoothness and richness.

Now grab some fresh bread, make a salad, and you have a meal fit for a queen.