Basic Soup Starter Recipe

This recipe is adapted from Lynn Rosetto Kasper's cookbook, "The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper". Lynn says that there are two types of people; those that make their soup stock completely from scratch, and those that buy it in a can or pouch from their local grocery store. Lynn suggests that meeting the two half way may just be your best bet -- and not that hard, either.

She claims that every flavor-boosting trick they know are in this recipe. There is garlic, aromatic vegetables and verbs, wine and tomatoes.

ingredients:
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 large garlic cloves - ideally hard-neck - crushed
1 whole cloves
1 can San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 large celery stock with leaves - coarsely chopped
1/2 medium carrot - coarsely chopped

directions
1. In a 4-quart pot, combine all ingredients. Bring to a simmer, partially cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

2. Strain the stock into a bowl or a storage container. Either use it right away, refrigerate it, or freeze it.