Hearty, warm soups are just what I want when the weather turns cold, but I don't always have time to make them. Fortunately, I've learned out to get the essence of a long-cooked soup or stew in a fraction of the time. Slicing chicken into small pieces, for example, cuts down cooking time. Quick-cooking ingredients like shrimp and fish, and store-bought items like canned broth, cheese tortellini, and canned clams can help speed things up too. Because these dishes don't get a lot of stove time to intensify flavor, bright additions, bright additions (jalapeño in the seafood chowder), international twists (Thai-influenced beef stew), and tasty accompaniments (goat cheese croutons for the tomato soup) make a big impact.
