At long last, the sweltering days of summer are gone. It is time for tummy-filling, heart-warming soups which we can never get enough of.

There are Minestrone, Goulash and Gumbo, thick, heavy, filling and meals by themselves. And then there are soups that are soups, like French Onion Soup and Chinese Egg Drop Soup. These, and more, are easy to make from scratch without spending a fortune on ingredients.

My freezer always has two soup bags; one for bones and another for vegetable odds and ends. The family keeps chicken wing tips, pork and beef bones, skin and scraps in the first; vegetables (carrots, onions, green and red bell peppers, green beans, celery stalks and leaves) share the second bag. We save these daily as we prepare lunch and dinner, scheduling our soup day as the bags fill up.

Our soup bags get used fast as everyone learns to cut out and save stuff for soup. Pork chops and ribs get trimmed before cooking or marinating, Chicken wing tips and skin get thrown in, too.

We’ve learned to debone Lechong Manok before serving; roast chicken bones add richness and make for a thick broth with no need for chemical powdered magic.

More than a soup, this is a one-dish meal all by itself, and can be prepared with any combination of vegetables, fresh and dried beans, pasta, cheese, and processed meat (ham, bacon, or sausage).

Start by sauteing onion and garlic, add sliced cooked meat, sausage, cooked dry beans, and strained broth from boiled bones. Add chopped ripe tomatoes, meats, and sliced frozen veggies. Simmer for 29 minutes, then stir in pasta (dried or leftover). Cook over low heat for 15 minutes, then taste to adjust seasonings. Shell or elbow macaroni is best for this dish. If spaghetti is all you have, simply break them into inch-long pieces.

Serve topped with grated cheese. Or stir in some Chizwiz.

Start by mixing a tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 cup of water. Set aside. Saute onion and garlic over high heat. Add sliced veggies, stir until wilted. Pour in 1 cup of bone broth, season with oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Slowly drip in the cornstarch mixture until desired thickness is reached.

At this point, you may decide if you want to add cooked noodles or serve this as a saucy side dish.

This is surprisingly so easy yet very few know how.

Begin by boiling enough bone broth for everyone. Season with salt and ground white pepper. Stir in canned corn and cooked meat from the bone bag. Thicken with cornstarch dissolved in water to desired consistency.

At this point, slowly drip in a well-beaten egg to form strands. Turn off heat and serve immediately. Serve with sesame oil and chili sauce

Brown sliced onions lightly in butter over medium heat. Add deboned meat and stir until well blended. Stir in sliced vegetables until heated through. Slide in some bone broth and simmer for 3 minutes. Slowly pour in some canned cream or creamed vegetable soup. Thicken with cornstarch and water.

Variation: thicken with grated cheese or sour cream. Serve topped with a touch of smoked paprika.

If you have any queries on the procedure or the ingredients you may send me a message via my FB messenger or send me an email at [email protected]