My favorite soups are all, without question, the ones that came out of impromptu improvisation. I think soup, as a dish, is better suited to experimentation and discovery than any other, perhaps because the basic technique of making a soup is so simple and intuitive. It lets the improvisational cook follow her whim (I've a craving for sausage...), building flavor in seemingly strange ways (let's have some lemon here!), using up pantry leftovers (hi there, half-empty can of beans...) and bringing it all together in one wholly satisfying yet personal dish. That's how this soup happened. And even though it was built from my own idiosyncrasies, it turned out too good not to share (if I do say so myself!). More

Smoky, hearty bean and bacon soup is a classic, but soups in my house never feel complete without a few vegetables. In this rendition of bean and bacon soup, soft cubes of butternut squash and silky shreds of chard add a little freshness, transforming this soup into a comforting and nutritious one-pot meal. More

You've got the sniffles. It's chilly outside. You want nothing more than to wrap yourself in a big ol' blanket and settle down with a mug of chicken noodle soup. Am I right? Then this is the recipe for you. It's miles better than anything from a box or a can, but isn't quite so laborious as starting with a whole chicken and making stock from scratch. It's the Goldilocks of chicken soups, and it's just right. More

After almost every meal I have a small amount of leftover ingredients. It might be a half cup of roasted peppers or garlic, possibly a few shreds of meat or even a bit of cheese. I usually end up piling it all into one ridiculously sized taco, but sometimes I freeze them for use later as pizza toppings. More

So, you've whipped up a batch of homemade pizza dough, and you've made a couple of spectacularly good homemade pizza. But your household is small, and you don't want to eat pizza tomorrow. What can you do with all that leftover dough? Freeze it, of course! It's simple as 1-2-3, and then you can have pizza on the spur of the moment next week. Here's how to freeze pizza dough... More

Q: Does anyone have ideas for making homemade juice concentrates? It's the end of summer and there is all this perfectly ripe fruit. I'm thinking of putting everything through my juicer and freezing it. Any other suggestions?

Sent by Thomas More

Pumpkins and winter squashes like butternut, acorn, and kabocha will keep for quite awhile when stored in a cool, dry place, but freezing can extend their life even longer. Here are two methods of preserving winter squash in the freezer – one raw and one cooked. More

Growing up my parents were great cooks. That said, I still had a serious soft spot for canned ravioli pasta. But since it's not exactly healthy, I'd consider a homemade version, especially this make-and-freeze mason jar version! More

Thinking about pulling out your slow-cooker, now that it's October? If we haven't convinced you yet to break it out of storage, we hope this recipe will do the trick! Creamy and mild, this simple curried soup is full of tender fall vegetables and the warming flavors of ginger and garlic. More

There were not so distant times when a quick meal always meant a bowl of pasta. These were the days when everyone was touting fat-free eating and big bowls of pasta were seen as a healthy dinner option day in and day out. While I have nothing negative to say about a good bowl of noodles, whole grains are usually where I land for quick meals these days. As we find ourselves entering the cooler months, why not make bigger batches and freeze some for later? We showed you how to do this with brown rice, but it doesn't end there... More