But Pierre de Levis did employ a pretty good chef, and this is who we have to thank for mirepoix -- our sturdy three-ingredient soup base. The precise ratio for a mirepoix is two parts onion ...

For soups to pack layers of complex flavor, consider how you prep the veggies in them. There's one important step to take before simmering them in the pot.

The soup base is mirepoix (onion, carrot and celery) punched up with garlic and red pepper flakes. It’s big flavor with less fat and calories. Fresh black-eyed peas are a gift of summer.

At that point he uses the stock as a base for sauce or soup. Nitsche also gets beef and ... the vegetables uniform in size and sautéing the mirepoix — a mixture of chopped or diced carrots ...