The Ten Commandments of Soup

Follow these religiously

The Ten Commandments of Soup (with some small adaptations)

I. Thou shalt not open a can

II. Thou shalt make stock from real ingredients and water— not cubes.

III. Chicken soup comes from chicken bones, cold water, vegetables and herbs .

IV. Beef bones must be roasted first before adding the other stock ingredients.

V. Thou shalt skim the scum that rises!

VI. Thou shalt not be in a hurry or the stock will be cloudy.

VII. Finished stock is a head start for any soup.

VIII. Thou shalt choose thy vegetables wisely! Leave out the red cabbage or you will have a blue stock.

IX. Thou shalt keep in mind how long it takes to cook each vegetable.

X. Homemade soup and homemade bread are the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

I found this many years ago on the internet but never made note of the source.  If it is yours, thank you!  I applaud your sense of humor.  I tried to add it to my Cook Like a Chef manual but the idea was swatted down by the federal government editors who were afraid that I would "offend" someone.  It's a sad world where you can't add a little levity to your materials.  But all the points are good, though, it is true, sometimes we need to rely on packaged stock and during those emergency times, be sure to use one that is reduced in sodium.  There are decent ones out there and if it means that more people make soup at home, then blessed are the shortcuts!  It is all okay if you are in control of what you choose to consume and can gain the ownership of your pot and the health benefits of that miraculous steam rising and tantalizing all that come into your kitchen.  Blessed are the soup makers!