Homemade soups warm up 'Burg's endless winter

Maybe it's because a can of Campbell's soup opens so easily, but few students make soup from scratch. That's too bad, because homemade soups are perfect for the college crowd — they are filling and nutritious, not to mention cheap and easy to make. In fact, anyone who can simmer water and chop up vegetables has all the skills needed to make soup.

Soup is also the perfect food for sharing with friends — it can feed many, yet leaves only one pot to clean.

Here are some tips for easy soup making. Be sure to account for defrosting time when using frozen items. Vegetables and meat can defrost in the microwave if necessary, but to avoid ovecooking then, put them in the regrigerator at least 8 hours before you intend to use them.

Also, a prepared soup chef always buys a little more stock than the recipe calls for. Some soups come out thicker than others, and more stock may be needed to thin it out. Unopened stock keeps well in the pantry, so if it's not used right away it can be used another time.

The following recipes are great for novice soup makers. They don't require many ingredients and they are both ready in 30 minutes. Sure, it's a little more time than the canned version needs, but the results are well worth it.

Quick Chick and Noodle Soup — from Rachael Ray's "30 Minute Meals" cookbook

Prep time: 15 minutes, cook time: 15 minutes

2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
Salt and pepper
6 cups chicken stock
1 pound (the average weight of 1 package) chicken breast
tenders, diced
1/2 pound egg noodles
Parsley and dill as garnish (optional)

Place a large pot over moderate heat and add extra-virgin olive oil. Work close to the stove and add vegetables to the pot as you chop the vegetables in the order they are listed.

Add the bay leaves and salt and pepper, to taste. Add the stock to the pot and bring liquid to a boil.

Add the diced chicken tenderloins, and return the soup to a boil, and reduce heat to medium.

Cook chicken two minutes and then add noodles. Cook soup an additional six minutes or until noodles are tender and remove soup from the heat. Stir in parsley and dill, remove bay leaves and serve. This is a thick soup. Add up to two cups of water if you like chicken soup with lots of broth.

Tortellini Tomato Spinach Soup — from Kathleen Daelemans's "Cooking Healthy with Chef Kathleen" cookbook

Prep time: 10 minutes, cook time: 20 minutes

1 tablespoon olive oil
1ž2 small onion, chopped (about 1ž2 a cup)
1 clove of garlic, minced
6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
1 14 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 8 oz. package of dried tortellini
Salt and pepper
10 oz. package of chopped frozen spinach
Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté (cook in a skillet) the onion and garlic, stirring often, until onions are translucent (about five minutes). Be careful not to let the garlic burn. Add broth and tomatoes, turn heat up to high and bring to a boil.

Add the tortellini and cook according to package directions. When tortellini is almost done, add spinach and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnish each serving with Parmesan cheese.