It is fair to say that soups are popular throughout the world - soup being a particular favorite in cold climate countries. There is nothing more welcoming on a winter's day than a bowl of nourishing soup. Easy soup recipes are plentiful and contain inexpensive ingredients. They can be quick to make and result in a tasty starter to any meal. They can also be used to make a meal in itself. A bowl of soup with crusty bread and cheese can be a filling lunch. Soup is also traditionally served to people convalescing from an illness and it's a great way of using up leftover food. It's fun to adapt recipes and you don't have to follow them to the letter. You can substitute ingredients when preferred.

Meat eaters, vegetarians, vegans and fish lovers can all appreciate the value of soup. It's easy to boil some stock from a chicken carcass or to chop up some root vegetables and herbs. The soup will be even tastier if the ingredients are as fresh as possible. Different regions have their signature dishes and one of the most well known classic soups is French Onion Soup. The secret to this easy soup recipe is to cook the onions over a slow heat. Other ingredients include tomato puree and white wine. Some people like to eat it with slices of toast, spread with Gruyere cheese.

Chicken Soup is another perennial favorite and many people believe that it has restorative powers. Remove the legs from a chicken or buy legs from the supermarket, carefully remove the skin and shred the meat. Prepare garlic, carrots and celery and break up small bits of a Ciabatta loaf to thicken the soup and give it a good texture. Sausage and Bean Soup is a hearty and easy soup recipe and full of strong flavors. Borlotti Beans complement the sausage and other ingredients include shallots, carrots, savoy cabbage and red wine. Flavor with a bay leaf but don't forget to remove it before serving!

Non-meat soups are just as tasty. Vegetable soup can be made with root vegetables, such as carrots, swede and parsnips. To add a bit of heat, include curry paste in the preparation and garnish with crushed coriander seeds. Easy soup recipes can also include Leek and Potato, a cheap soup with leeks, potatoes and chicken or vegetable stock. Single cream and grated nutmeg makes it a bit special. Fish soup is also a tasty idea and lots of different fish, some more expensive than others, can be used. There are recipes for skate, cod, hake, sea bass, and monkfish. Other recipes call for lobster, clams, mussels, crab or shrimp.