One of the most comforting dishes that you can ever make is soup.  The types of soup that are not only available to purchase, but also that you can make are limitless.  That is the true beauty of soup, you can make it your own.  Whether you are simply cold and want something warm to eat, or enjoy a specific flavor in your soup, you cannot go wrong with this staple of a dish.

There is no actual recording of the first time soup was ever made.  Honestly, the first soup probably arose as early as the first humans did.  The fact of placing various ingredients in a large container and adding water is not difficult.  In fact, its simplicity is most likely the reason there is no initial creation date.  Back then, whatever ingredients could be collected were placed into the soup (especially in the winter) because it was a nice way to incorporate a multitude of flavors and textures all in one dish.

Personally, my favorite soup is old fashioned chicken noodle.  The best part – it is super easy to make!  All you need are some carrots, celery, onions, butter, water, and chicken.  You can of course add various other seasonings, but these vegetables and chicken are the base of the soup.  You saute the vegetables in the butter until the onions become translucent.  This technique is called sweating.  Then, you add the water and chicken bones and bring the mixture to a boil.  Then the fun part: letting the pot simmer for a few hours.  After the soup seems flavorful enough, you remove it from the heat, remove the bones, and place it in the refrigerator.

If you did not know, soup always tastes best the following day (as long as it is refrigerated).  There is a simple explanation for this: the soup flavors join together to become more complex in their nature.  With time, the chemical compounds interact with each other, sometimes bonding in specific areas.  This can create, as said previously, a compound taste, which intensifies the flavor.  To better the soup, you cannot go wrong by adding noodles, potatoes, dumplings, or really any other vegetable or starch.

The base of the soup is almost always the three vegetables mentioned above: carrots, celery, and onions.  These three vegetables combined have been coined the name mirepoix.  This usually has the ratio of 1:1:2, respectively.  This mixture is excellent in creating a flavor base for soups, stocks, broths, sauces, and many other foods.  One additional benefit to these ingredients, in addition to their flavor, is the smell, or aroma, that are released.  Mirepoix has been used for centuries, and allows for a plethora of other flavors to accompany it.

Some other great flavors in soup include thyme, rosemary, oregano, and dill.  One must never forget to include some of the most important seasonings: salt and pepper.  The salt aids in removing water from the vegetables during their sweat and pepper acts as a taste bud opener for the consumer intensifying the flavor.  I am curious to know some of your favorite soups, so feel free to talk about them below!