Soup as a meal in itself is so ideal in that you can feed a whole family from the one pot, yet you have not spent hours in the kitchen rustling it up and you know it is full of goodness and wonderfully filling.

My children use it as a vehicle for dipping in buttered baguette or toast (in fact, they will not eat soup without it ) and I feel comforted in the fact that they are getting lots of good nutritious vegetables.

If your favourite jeans no longer fit you from the last few weeks of overindulging, then just pass on the buttered bread, and what you have is a healthy, delicious meal, that will get you back into those skinny jeans in no time!

Of course, the other beauty of soup is that it can be made with whatever is in season, or whatever you have in your fridge at the time. And all of these soups can be made for vegetarians and non-dairy consumers by using vegetable instead of chicken stock, and olive oil instead of butter, respectively.

A spinach soup is a great way to get this vitamin and mineral-packed leaf into my two boys, especially when I call it Green Power Ranger Soup, or indeed Dinosaur Soup; yet it is also fantastic for a dinner party with chopped rosemary in it (next column over), and it will freeze too, as will nearly all soups, so it is worth making some extra.

A chicken noodle soup reminds me of when I was little and home from school with a cold; I still crave it when I am feeling under the weather. This soup I would not freeze, but no matter as it is so quick to make. Broccoli and almond soup is absolutely divine . . .the almonds give it a wonderful velvetiness . . .and one of my favourite soups has to be the red lentil and chorizo soup.

This soup has a bit of a kick from the spicy Spanish chorizo sausage . . .just enough to raise the endorphins, and make you feel really great.

Spinach and rosemary soup Serves 4-6 A fantastically healthy soup. You could omit the rosemary and replace with a pinch of ground nutmeg.

Indeed, you could replace the spinach, or some of it, with watercress or kale.

25g butter 110g chopped onions 150g peeled, chopped potatoes 600ml chicken or vegetable stock 600ml milk . . . or less if you like 225g spinach, destalked (if the leaves are very big) and chopped One tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or a pinch of ground nutmeg Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onions and potatoes, season with a little salt and pepper, cover, and sweat over a very low heat for 10 minutes. Then add the stock and milk and bring to the boil, simmer for a few more minutes until the vegetables are soft. At this point, add the chopped spinach, and boil with the lid off for about two or three minutes until the spinach is cooked . . . do not overcook it. Add the chopped rosemary or nutmeg and immediately liquidise the soup. Season to taste, and serve in big warm bowls .

Handy hint: This lovely green soup will lose its fresh colour if it boils continuously with the lid on, so just reheat it when you need it, and don't cover it once the spinach is in.

Chicken noodle soup Serves 4 As I said, this is the best soup if you are feeling under the weather; having said that, it is wonderful anytime.

25g butter Two-three small leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced Two or three cloves crushed or grated garlic 150ml white wine (fine for children as the alcohol will have evaporated) One litre chicken stock (or leftover frozen turkey stock) 50g spaghettini, spaghetti, or any other thin noodles, or even very small pasta shapes or basmati rice Two chicken breasts, skinned, and cut into fine slices One tbsp olive oil Three tbsp chopped parsley Some freshly grated parmesan, for sprinkling on the soup Melt the butter over a lowish heat and sweat the leeks and garlic for fiveseven minutes until starting to soften. Stir occasionally. Add the wine, turn the heat up and cook to reduce by half.

Pour in the chicken stock, season and bring to the boil. Add the noodles, and give them a stir, then simmer the soup for 10 minutes. At this stage, the noodles should be just cooked, then add the chicken and continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked, about three or four minutes. Stir the parsley into the soup, taste for seasoning and serve straightaway into big warm bowls. Put a bowl of grated Parmesan on the table and let people help themselves .

Broccoli and almond soup Serves 6 500g broccoli 25g butter One tbsp olive oil One medium onion, chopped Three stalks of celery, trimmed and sliced 50g flaked almonds 1.4 litres chicken stock 150ml white wine Trim the broccoli stalks and finely slice them. Then cut up the florets. Heat the butter and oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion, celery, broccoli stalks (not the florets yet) and almonds, and sweat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. In the meantime, bring the stock to the boil in a small saucepan.

Add the wine to the vegetables and cook without the lid until it is reduced a little, about three or four minutes. Add the broccoli florets and stir for a moment, then pour over the stock. Bring it back to the boil, and boil uncovered for about three or four minutes until the broccoli is just cooked.

Liquidise the soup and season to taste. Serve in warm bowls.

Handy hint: A little dollop of fromage frais is gorgeous with this, but not essential at all.

Red lentil and chorizo soup Serves 4 Red lentils have the advantage of cooking quickly into a beautifully coloured puree. They carry other flavours in a most delicious way. This soup will freeze too.

Four tbsp olive oil One onion, chopped One large carrot, cubed One celery stalk, cubed Two garlic cloves, crushed or grated Three cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated Half tsp paprika 500g red lentils One litre chicken stock 10-12 slices (about half cm thick) chorizo per person Two tbsp chopped parsley Heat three tbsp olive oil in a saucepan, add the onion, carrot and celery and sweat for about eight-10 minutes, until cooked. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a few more minutes, then stir in the paprika, lentils, and the stock and simmer until the lentils are cooked . . . they will be slightly pureed .

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan, add the chorizo slices in a single layer and fry on both sides until they are lightly browned, and turn inside out, like little bowls.

Remove to a plate until ready to serve. Keep the frying oil.

Test the texture of the soup . . . if it is too thick, stir in some extra boiling stock or water. Ladle into warm bowls, top with the chorizo and parsley, and spoon the reserved frying oil over the top . . . it will be a brilliant orange-red.

Note: Sweating vegetables means to cover them with a butter wrapper or sheet of greaseproof paper and the saucepan lid and cook them on a low heat, so they cook, but do not colour.

Tip of the week If you ever have any wine leftover in a bottle that you are not going to drink, pour it into ice cube trays and freeze. This will be perfect for cooking with when ever you need it.

Best book 'In My Kitchen', by Annie Bell, published by Conran Octopus, is a beautiful book, written by the author of a number of books, including the seriously stylish 'Living and Eating'. Bell has also written for many magazines and newspapers, Vogue and Country Living being among them. This book contains many fabulous recipes and photographs of her great houses in London and Normandy in France.