Homemade stock or broth is tasty but time-consuming to make. When in a hurry, buy good quality liquid broth in cartons or jars—they’re much better than mixing water with too-salty bouillon cubes.

For thicker soups, remove and puree some of the cooked vegetables, then return the puree to the pot. Or mix in one part cornstarch with two parts cold soup liquid and stir slowly into simmering soup.

To remove excess fat, drop in a lettuce leaf; it will absorb grease from the top. If your soup refrigerates overnight, remove surface fat before reheating.

Use portion-size, freezer-specific containers; smaller portions freeze faster and taste fresher when thawed. Leave a bit of room to allow for expansion when the soup freezes. Create a freezer inventory sheet you can check to know when you put soup in freezer. You’ll want to use it within a couple weeks for best flavor and most nutrition.

Another freezer idea: Freeze in ice cube trays; when solid, pop out soup/stew blocks and place in zippered freezer bag or plastic freezer container. Then when needing a quick cup of soup for a packed sack lunch or ski outing, for instance, just place 3 or 4 cubes in a microwavable container with lid, and off you go.

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