Need a tasty soup for a cold day? Here are the steps to build the perfect soup

There is nothing better than a bowl of hot soup on a cold day. Or whipping together a big batch for a quick supper and still having lots left for the freezer to use on even busier nights. Soup is good for so many situations, not forgetting of course, when you're sick and need a bowl of comfort.

But soup seems kind of complicated to make, doesn't it? How do all of those veggies combine so perfectly with meat, cream, and the base it all swims in? It's for this reason that so many leave soup-making to the experts whether they work in a restaurant kitchen or those that can it ready-made. But soup isn't complicated at all. In fact, it's one of the easier meals that can be made, and it doesn't take much time at all. You just need to know the steps to take. There are five of them and while it is a process, it's not at all difficult.

1. Choose your aromatics and oil
Many soups start with a mirepoix, which is just a combination of carrots, celery, and onion. Not all soups call for this mix though, and you can really use whatever sturdy vegetables you want. Some soups call for just onions and garlic while others will call for bell peppers. The aromatics are really up to you and they'll help form the base of your soup.

Once you have your aromatics chosen, start the soup by sauteing them in some kind of fat. Butter, oil, or even lard or bacon fat works. Remember when choosing your fat and aromatics that they all need to work with the kind of soup you're making, so choose accordingly.

2. Choose your meat
Of course you can make vegetarian soups. After all, vegetable soup is a classic and a favorite among many. But if you're going to be adding meat, now is the time to choose and add it. The aromatics can be left right inside the pot and then just add your meat to brown it. No matter what kind of meat you're using, you only need to brown it at this stage as it will have time to simmer and cook through for as long as you need it.

There is one exception here. If you're making a soup with fish in it, such as a seafood chowder, it's best to add it right at the end. Fish cooks very quickly, and can overcook and dry out just as quickly.

3. Add your base
The base of the soup is the stock you use, but you don't have to use stock just because you're making soup. Cans of diced tomatoes with their juices, pureed vegetables and of course chicken, beef, or vegetable stock can all be used. And you can mix and match too, adding half stock and half diced tomatoes with their juices. Whatever you choose, just add it to the pot along with the aromatics and meat.

Remember that if you are making a soup that includes meat to choose a base that complements the meat. So if you're making soup with chicken in it, add chicken broth. And if you're making soup with beef it in it, choose beef stock. You can still mix and match with pureed vegetables and tomatoes, but try to stay away from mixing different kinds of proteins, even if that protein is only in the stock.

4. Add vegetables and noodles
Once you've built most of the soup, including the base, you can then go ahead and add other vegetable such as potatoes, squash, and legumes such as beans or peas. If you're adding noodles to your soup, such as macaroni, you can also add it now completely dry and have it cook right in the soup.

Again, there is an exception here. If you're adding something that will wilt and quickly overcook, such as spinach, it's best to add this right at the end, too. It will remain crisp and fresh and won't become black and slimy.

5. Finish the soup
Once the vegetables and/or noodles have been added and the soup has simmered long enough to cook them through, it's time to add any finishing touches your soup needs. This can include adding your delicate vegetables, noodles, and soup, but there are other things you may have to do to finish the soup as well.

For instance, if you're making a cream soup, now is the only time the cream or dairy (such as cheese) should be added. Cream will curdle if it's left on the heat for too long, so you don't want to add it any sooner than this. And if you want a smooth soup, now is the time to puree it with an immersion blender. The last step in any soup is to give it one final taste to see if any of its seasonings need to be adjusted.