Slow-simmered pinto beans and pork roast served over corn chips with all the fixings.

A quick white kidney bean and chicken chili with green chiles and Monterey Jack.

Roasted bones and vegetables simmered for hours — the foundation for great soups.

New England-style clam chowder with fresh steamed quahogs, potatoes, and bacon.

Roasted butternut squash soup with cumin, jalapeno, and a swirl of sour cream.

Mesquite-smoked chicken tortilla soup with a homemade canned tomato base.

A tomato-based chicken and corn soup thickened with chopped tortillas.

White Northern bean and chicken chili with green chiles, cumin, and all the fixings.

A creamy chicken tortilla soup with Rotel tomatoes and chili powder.

Authentic Texas chili with no beans — cubed beef, dried peppers, toasted cornmeal, and salt pork.

Slow-simmered red beans with Andouille sausage and ham hocks over rice — a Louisiana classic.

Chinese-style soup with chicken, wood ears, lily buds, bean curd, and vinegar.

A full-flavored Louisiana gumbo with homemade roux, shrimp stock, okra, and three meats.

A hearty Italian soup with sausage, white beans, spinach, and Parmesan rind.

A Christmas Eve tradition — creamy oyster stew or bacon-potato clam chowder.

Low-cal pureed vegetable soup with broccoli, spinach, and a hint of cardamom and nutmeg.