the sophisticated simplicity of SOUPS : Not the most glamorous of foods, meal-in-one soups nonetheless provide a traditional homeyness that’s a timeless kitchen classic

If ever there was a type of food that truly fits the term “comfort food,” it has to be soup. Warm and satisfying soup. Aromatic, rich and tasty soup. The sort of thing one remembers from childhood days. Unglamorous, plebian and always welcome to those who hunger for both sustenance and the all-enveloping security blanket effect provided by familiar flavors and surroundings. Hearty soups will never go out of fashion.

In fact, in some ways, sturdy meal-in-one soups are slowly but surely leaving the category of everyday foods and moving into the more rarefied atmosphere of foods suitable for company suppers. These old-fashioned offerings are eminently suitable choices for menus that fit nicely into the hurly burly existance everyone seems to be living today.

Most are very easy to make, call for readily available ingredients and require only rudimentary culinary abilities. But perhaps their greatest appeal lies in the fact that, with the exception of burning them, most soups are not easy to ruin. If a soup is bland, a few judiciously applied herbs or spices will take care of that. Or if it’s too spicy, the addition of bland foods such as rice or beans or even potatoes will help cut the bite. And since soups are generally “catch all” foods anyway, the addition of a few more ingredients matters not a whit.

I’m one of those who believe that soups are better made in quantities. Thus when I go on a soup spree, I make sure I have freezer space for the extra. Throughout the years I have finally learned to package the leftovers in meal-size portions and, occasionally, I even remember to label them. (Right now I have three different kinds of soup basking in my freezer. One I can easily identify, the other two are mystery foods that either lost their labels or I simply forgot to mark them. Thus a soup supper at my home these days is as much of a surprise to the cook as it is to whoever else is dining with me.)

I’m not sure that is all bad; at least it isn’t boring. I may end up eating beef barley soup when I was expecting pork and rice, but both are good so it really doesn’t matter. And since I know I’m in for a surprise, it is easy to choose a salad and dessert that will fit with either one.

Most soups require a fair amount of cooking time. They are at their best when allowed to simmer an appreciable length of time in order for the multiple flavors to blend to combined perfection. So how does one with a time schedule that fits all dinner activities, from prep to dishes, into an hour, manage to prepare a rich and appetizing soup?

Easy. One does it at night after the dishes are done and the family couch potatoes are properly ensconced in front of the tube. Reach for the chopping knife and the slow cooker or the pressure cooker--or simply haul out your favorite big kettle--and go to work. Within 30 to 45 minutes a good soup should be happily simmering away and you can go relax with the others. When done, simply ladle it, in meal-size quantities, into storage containers and either refrigerate or freeze it for some super future dining.

When ready to serve the meal-in-one soup, zap it in the microwave while fixing a salad and heating up some crusty bread and you’ll have a delicious, soul-satisfying meal on the table before you know it. What’s more, if you have made the soup in quantity, you’ll have several more delightful dinners conveniently stashed away in the freezer. And that’s almost as comforting as sipping away at a well-flavored soup at the end of a long, wearisome day.

Here are some soup recipes that cover a broad spectrum of ingredients and flavors, including an appetite-whetting Hungarian gulyas s oup. This recipe was shared by Julius Kocsis of the Hortobagy Hungarian Restaurant in Studio City, where gallons of it are served each week. The secret to the rich flavor of this soup lies in the use of spicier Hungarian paprika that has considerably more bite than ordinary paprika.

CHICKEN VEGETABLE SOUP

1 tablespoon oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon minced ginger root

6 to 8 cups water

1 (14-ounce) can clear chicken broth

1 small chicken, cut in small serving pieces

Salt, pepper

1/2 cup finely sliced peeled carrots

1/4 cup finely julienned sweet red pepper

12 to 15 small Chinese pea pods

4 cups coarsely chopped Chinese cabbage

2 eggs, beaten

Few drops sesame oil, optional

1/4 cup chopped green onions (green part only)

Heat oil in Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat. Saute garlic and ginger few minutes. Add water, broth, chicken and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until chicken pieces are tender.

Add carrots and red pepper; simmer 8 minutes longer. Mix in pea pods and cabbage. Continue cooking 5 minutes. Bring to quick boil and slowly stir in beaten eggs. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. If desired, add sesame oil. Serve sprinkled with chopped green onions. Makes 6 servings.

Note: Soup may be cooked in pressure cooker: After adding chicken, pressure cook following manufacturer’s directions for chicken. Release pressure and add vegetables as in original recipe.

ALBONDIGAS SOUP

6 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 stalks celery, cut in large chunks

1 (18-3/4-ounce) can tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Meatballs

1 large zucchini, sliced

Salt, pepper

Combine chicken broth, onion, celery, tomatoes and their liquid, cumin, oregano and cilantro leaves in large kettle. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add meatballs, return to simmer and cook 15 minutes. Add zucchini and cook 10 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes about 8 servings.

Meatballs

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1/2 pound chorizo, casing removed

1 egg

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 carrot, minced

1/2 cup cooked rice

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Combine beef and chorizo. Add egg, garlic, carrot, rice, cilantro, salt, pepper and cumin. Mix lightly but thoroughly. Form into 3/4- to 1-inch balls. Makes 16 to 24 meatballs.

HORTABAGY HUNGARIAN GULYAS SOUP

1 1/2 pounds bone-in, center-cut beef shanks

3 tablespoons oil

2 red onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

1 medium tomato, cut in chunks

1 medium green pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons ground Hungarian paprika

2 quarts water

Few celery leaves

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

3 large carrots, cut in 3/4-inch chunks

1 stalk celery, cut in 1/2-inch slices

Salt

Cut beef from bones, reserving bones. Cut meat into 1-inch cubes. Heat oil in a large heavy kettle. Add onions and garlic and saute until soft but now browned.

Stir in pepper, caraway seeds, paprika, meat and bones. Add water and celery leaves. Bring mixture to boil, cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook mixture, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Add potatoes, carrots and celery and cook, covered, 30 minutes longer. Remove and discard bones. Season to taste with salt. Makes about 3 quarts soup.

QUICK CHICKEN BOUILLABAISSE

2 tablespoons oil

3 whole chicken breasts, boned, skinned and cubed

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, peeled and cut in thin strips

1 medium zucchini, cut in thin strips

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

1 1/4 cups dry white wine

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Salt, pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven and saute chicken cubes until lightly browned. Remove chicken and set aside. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Stir in garlic, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, onions and basil. Saute until vegetables are crisp tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Return chicken to pan and add 1 cup wine and chicken broth. Bring mixture to boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 to 10 minutes or until chicken is heated through. Stir cornstarch into remaining 1/4 cup wine and add to pan. Bring to boil, stirring constantly, and boil 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in large bowls with crusty bread. Makes about 6 servings.

MINESTRONE A LA VALENTINO

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped carrots

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

2 to 3 bay leaves

1 (1-pound) can tomato puree

5 puree cans water

2 bunches fresh spinach, stemmed and chopped, or 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach

1 (9-ounce) package frozen Italian green beans

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas

1 (1-pound) can red kidney beans

8 ounces small shell macaroni

Salt, pepper

Saute garlic, celery, onions and carrots in oil just until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add thyme, oregano, bay leaves, tomato puree and water. Bring to boil and add spinach, green beans, peas and kidney beans.

Bring mixture to boil again and add pasta shells. Reduce heat and simmer mixture just until shells are cooked al dente. Do not overcook. Discard bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

SPICY CABBAGE-SAUSAGE SOUP

1 pound hot Italian sausage links

1 (1-pound) can tomatoes

1 1/2 quarts chicken broth

1 large onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups sliced carrots

1 cup sliced celery

2 quarts shredded cabbage

Salt, pepper

3 cups hot cooked rice

Brown sausages lightly in skillet. Add water to depth of 1/2 inch, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until sausages are cooked through. Drain and set aside. Chop tomatoes, reserving liquid. In large heavy saucepan, combine chicken broth, tomatoes and their liquid, onion, carrots and celery. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Cut sausages into 1-inch chunks and add to saucepan with cabbage. Simmer 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in large soup bowls topped with a scoop of rice. Makes 6 servings.

VIENNESE MUSHROOM-RICE SOUP

2 pounds short ribs or beef soup meat and bones

1/4 cup oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

1 cup sliced carrots

7 cups water

2 (1-pound) cans whole tomatoes, crushed

1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves, crushed

1/2 cup rice

1 pound mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped parsley

Salt, pepper

Brown meat in hot oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add onion and carrots and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in water, tomatoes and their liquid and marjoram. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

Clean and slice mushrooms and add to pan with rice. Simmer mixture, covered, 30 minutes longer. Remove meat and bones from soup. Remove meat from bones and cut into 1-inch cubes. Discard bones and return meat to soup. Stir in parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes about 3 quarts.

Food styling by Donna Deane