Instructions: When you cook soup, take out about a cup of it, throw it into the blender on high for a minute, and then add it back in. For some mysterious, magical
reason, this has the effect of "blending" all of the flavors together and turning it from "veggies floating in flavored water" into real soup.

As for stock, Im not much of a cook but I learned how to make a really good soup stock and I am always surprised at how fast and easy it is!

To make soup stock, put a quart plastic container or plastic bag into your freezer, get into the habit of washing your veggies before trimming them, and start saving stuff like:
carrot tops and peels
red and green pepper tops and seeds
celery ends and leaves
Apple peels and cores (dont worry, they get boiled)

lettuce cores
bits of cauliflower
Vegetables that have gone limp (but NOT ROTTEN)

especially: limp green onions, wrinkled apples,

optional: broccoli and cabbage trimmings. These will make your soup very strong tasting.

When you have about a quart of this stuff, put it into a pot with 2-3 quarts of water and a couple of teaspoons of salt. Boil gently for 1/2 hour then pour through a strainer to get all of the solid bits out.

What you will have left is a murky green substance with an odd, grocery bin
sort of smell... and it will make fantastic soup! Dont
*taste* it, its not soup
*yet*. (If you do taste it, just check to see if it is salty or bitter, dont expect it to have much flavor.)

If you dont have any old veggies, you can sacrifice some fresh carrots, celery, an onion, whatever. Adding an apple gives the stock body and a touch of sweetness. You can throw in leftover grains or potatoes for body, too, but you could also throw them into the soup itself.

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