We simmered enough chicken soup, beef stew, and corn chowder to feed a small city. Here are more than 200 exhaustively tested recipes, kitchen equipment tests, and blind food tastings that share our discoveries on the undisputed best ways to make America's favorite soups and stews.The Best Recipe: Soups & Stews is the result of testing more than 6,000 recipe variations for America's favorite soups and stews, from chicken noodle soup, clam chowder, and French onion soup to bouillabaisse, chicken gumbo, and chili. We cover the basics, from which equipment works best to secrets for making quick, rich-tasting chicken stock. We share the secrets for turning out a great bowl of soup or stew, including where to simmer stews (use the oven, not the stovetop), how to puree vegetable soups (the blender, not the food processor, worked best), and what sets a decent beef stock apart from a great beef stock (it's the meat, not the bones). For both beginners and advanced cooks, The Best Recipe: Soups & Stews is sure to become an indispensable kitchen companion.