The secrets of elegant and cheap soup recipes revealed!

Throughout history, soups have been appearing at the table in myriad forms, as a satisfying and nourishing repast for millions of people. While you may regard soup as a stop-gap, on-the-run meal, insufficient as a real meal, there are many people who would be grateful to enjoy a bowl of soup each day. We need to lift the humble bowl of soup into its proper place. Rather than thinking of soup recipes as some second best type of meal, let's take a look at how soup recipes, using inexpensive ingredients and simple preparation methods, can become elegant meals, worthy of serving to company.

The secrets of soup making are buried in the centuries, the seeming stepchild of culinary excellence. Perhaps it's because we equate a good meal with a big, juicy steak, or a fine roast. If you imagine that expensive ingredients are necessary to produce an excellent meal, you should think again. We are all victims of rising food costs and face the dilemma of putting tasty and nutritious food on the table. Here, we've got some solutions, in imaginative soup recipes, that will save you money and provide elegant alternatives to the expensive steak and potato menus.

If you haven't given soup much thought when planning your menus, it's likely that you think soup recipes are what you turn to when your cupboard is bare and you're waiting for payday. This mindset is a case of the glass-half-full. The great thing about soup is that, like fried rice, only minuscule amounts of this and that can be combined into a delicious, filling and nutritious meal. How many times have you gone through the frig and thrown out leftovers that, neglected, turn into science projects?

Let's look at the typical refrigerator contents. You served meatloaf a few days ago, with a side of corn. The half cup of leftover corn went into a plastic container. You diced up some onions for tacos and had a bit left over. With the best of intentions, the onions lie waiting for use. There's a piece of chicken from fried chicken night. A cup of noodles, left over from spaghetti night. Should all this food go to waste? With just these leftovers, you've got a meal. The best soup recipes are made of these forgotten foods.

When the cupboard seems bare, go through the frig and consolidate those leftovers. All you need for a meal is a broth and those leftovers. Seasonings will do the rest.

If your frig yields a lot of veggies, a chicken broth can make a hearty soup recipe. You might also consider making a roux of milk and flour, seasoned with herbs, packed with those leftover veggies, for a delicious, healthful and filling meal, full of flavor and satisfying.

Even a leftover plate of salad can contribute to your soup recipes. When it comes to soup, anything goes. Toss in that spinach and salad shrimp. Waste not, want not! Soup recipes amount to a free-for-all. Don't waste a bit of precious food! Soup recipes, created on the fly, can fill in at least one meal this week.