Any way you serve it up, alone, with a side dish or flat bread or add your favourite meat, soup is unbeatable as comfort food.Sharon K GhagThey couldn’t get enough mulligatawny. The soup party wasn’t for another day, but the appetites of the guests for saying the mouthful of mulligatawny couldn’t be satiated.The Seinfeld episode on Kramer’s favourite soup by the Soup Nazi obviously had a lot to do with it, but curiosities and appetites were piqued.Here was everyone’s chance to try the exotic mulligatawny.What is it? Where’s it from? What’s in it?Truth be told, they didn’t really want to know that it’s an Indian soup with curry paste. Those with the biggest appetite for saying mul-li-ga-tawny aren’t adventurous eaters and wouldn’t touch it if they knew what was in it.But even these professed blandies lined up for a bowlful when a double batch of soup emerged from the kitchen. They finally got a taste of mulligatawny — and they liked it!Soup is universal. Spice it up, tone it down, keep it simple or load it with ingredients. The results are the same: Warm or cold, it’s comfort in a cup.It’s delicious and nutritious whether slurped from a cup or savoured with a spoon. You could say soup is giving — and forgiving. Throw in anything. Thicken it in so many ways: cornstarch, pureed cooked beans, cooked mashed potatoes, 2 tablespoons of almonds or cashews soaked in hot water and pureed, barley, a flour slurry, with potato starch or semolina flour.The other wonderful thing about soup is that it swings both ways.All of these soups can be made with vegetable broth — with meat added after the soup is done. So the newly minted vegetarian at one end of the house and the lifelong meat eater at the other end can both be happy without stressing the cook. Mighty Mulligatawny Serves 6 IngredientsOlive oil8 ½ ounces quality ground beef1 red onion, peeled2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced1 red pepper, deseeded and finely choppedA 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped1 or 2 chillies, deseeded and choppedA small bunch of fresh cilantro1 heaped tablespoon Madras curry paste1 tablespoon tomato pureeSea salt and ground pepper1 heaped tablespoon HP sauce5 cups organic beef stock1/2 a butternut squash (roughly 12 ounces)A couple of sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves pickedA couple of pinches of garam masala1 cup basmati ricePlain yoghurt, to serve MethodPut a large pan on a high heat and add a splash of olive oil and the ground beef.Cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the beef, until it starts to turn golden and caramelise. Stir in the onion, carrot, garlic, red pepper, ginger and most of the chillies, and add a splash more oil, if needed. Cut the top leafy section off the cilantro and put aside in a cup of cold water for later. Finely chop the stalks and add to the pan. Cook and stir for around 10 minutes on a medium heat, or until the veggies have softened.Stir in the curry paste, tomato puree, a good pinch of salt and pepper and the HP sauce. After a few more minutes, when it smells fantastic, pour in the stock. Leave to blip away with the lid on over a medium heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.Meanwhile, cut the butternut squash into 1/2-inch chunks, getting rid of any seeds and gnarly bits (there’s no need to peel it). Put a smaller pan on a high heat. Add a lug of olive oil and the squash. Stir in the thyme leaves and the garam masala. Pop a lid on the pan and cook for around 10 minutes on a medium heat, stirring every few minutes, until softened and golden. Add a cup of rice to the pan with 2 cups of water and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Replace the lid and cook for around 8 minutes on a medium heat, then turn the heat off and leave to steam for 8 minutes with the lid on.Fluff up the rice and tip it into the soup. Have a taste, and season if needed. Gently mix together, then divide among your soup bowls with a good dollop of plain yoghurt. Scatter over the cilantro leaves and add a sprinkling of fresh chilli, if you like. Roasted Carrot Soup Serves 4 Ingredients6 to 8 large carrots (about 1 ¾ pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices1/4 cup olive oilSalt6 cups vegetable stock, or as neededA 1-inch-long piece fresh ginger, peeled1 fresh thyme sprig, plus chopped thyme for garnish1/2 large sweet onion, chopped2 large garlic cloves, choppedFreshly ground black pepper MethodSet an oven rack 6 to 8 inches from the heat source and turn on the broiler. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the carrots with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Broil the carrots until they brown and soften, turning them over with a spatula every 5 minutes or so; this should take 15 to 20 minutes.Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the ginger and sprig of thyme, turn down the heat, and simmer gently for 15 minutes.Just before the carrots are done, put the onion in a large saucepan with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and brown over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the carrots.Remove the ginger and thyme from the stock and add the stock to the onions and carrots. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the carrots are very soft. Use an immersion or a standard blender to puree the soup until smooth. If the soup seems too thick, add more stock or water and reheat gently. Add salt and pepper to taste.Serve garnished with chopped thyme. Boskos Minestrone Serves 15; yields approximately 1 1/2 gallons of soup Ingredients1/2 cup oil (canola or a non-extra-virgin olive oil)2 tablespoons chopped garlic1 pound yellow onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice1 large carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice1/2 bunch celery, leaves removed, stalks cut into 1/2-inch dice2 leeks, white part only, cut into 1/2-inch dice1/2 head green cabbage, chopped into 1/2-inch dice2 tablespoons salt3/4 teaspoon white pepper3/4 teaspoon red chilli pepper flakes3/4 teaspoon paprika1 tablespoon dried oregano1 tablespoon dried basil1 ½ cups crushed tomatoes1/8 cup beef base3 quarts chicken stock or water1 cup dry (or 2 cups cooked) cannellini beans1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice3/4 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice1/4 bunch (approximately 1 ½ cups) fresh Swiss chard or spinach1/2 pound shell noodles, uncooked MethodStart with a large stockpot over medium-high heat; add oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Once the garlic starts to brown slightly, add the diced onions, diced carrots, diced celery, sliced leeks, and diced cabbage; cook for about 5 minutes, still over medium-high heat. Add the salt, white pepper, pepper flakes, paprika, oregano and basil during this first saute process — adding dry seasonings early helps create layers of flavours in a dish. Be sure all the vegetables become translucent before adding the water or stock. Add tomatoes, beef base, and water or stock to the pot with the vegetables; bring entire mixture to a simmer.Meanwhile, if using dry cannellini beans: Cook the cannellini beans in boiling, salted water with a bay leaf until beans are soft (approximately 20 minutes). Once beans are done (or if starting with cooked beans), set half aside. Puree the other half. Add the whole, cooked beans and the pureed beans to the soup.When the soup comes to a simmer, add the potatoes. Let the soup continue to boil for 5 minutes, then add the zucchini and chard to the pot. Cook mixture for another 5 minutes.Add the shell noodles and cook for a final 5minutes. Adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. — The Modesto Bee/MCT