Remember uncooked pasta and beans will double or triple in size, so add moderately.

Remember to think and be sensible about cooking times for each ingredient you add.

Also, if you are cooking the broth for longer periods of time, uncovered, remember it will reduce, intensifying the flavor and salt, so you may need to add more water.

Adding pre-cooked pasta to your individual bowls, rather than dry pasta to the pot of soup itself, then pouring the soup over top, will keep the pasta from swelling too much, especially if you are planning to save the leftovers (but if going for one-pot and fast, it’s fine to add it to the broth).

If adding meat –you can make mini meatballs quickly and easily to drop into the simmering broth. Simply season 1 pound ground meat with diced onion, salt, pepper, granulated garlic and dried herbs and form tiny meat balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Place them on a plate in the fridge until the broth is ready, them drop them in soup and simmer until they float.

Alternatively, you can brown slices of Italian sausage, chorizo or cooked chicken breast and add this to the simmering soup. There are lots of vegan meat substitutes out there too, like the vegan meatballs in the photos.