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You could roast the vegetables first instead of sauteeing them... And add the spices at the end to maintain the flavor.

But I just made those two suggestions up, so good luck and let me know!

I was watching for the first few minutes... those stuffed peppers looked absolutely delicious. I think he may have been using the freshest produce I've ever seen. I wish this show was on Food Network in HD...

It was, to be perfectly honest, a little slow for my taste. Although I haven't been watching much of the Food Network recently other than my favorite Ace of Cakes.

What did you think?

I wouldn't even get so fancy.
Give me a (or two) Clamp's (Marbledale/New Milford, CT) burger(s) with ketchup, salt and pepper, and fried onions and I'll be happy for life.

Seyo, your soup sounds incredible. You are invited to my Thanksgiving dinner.

I always have a problem with my stock tasting bland, too... what I do with it is reduce the heck out of it. I usually take several hours to make the stock, reducing from 8 quarts to 4 or so. Makes it much better in the end!

Thanks everybody! I think all comments are great. Even though it was meant to be a quick soup, taking a little extra time along the way would have made a big difference!

Maybe adding the fresh herbs at the end of cooking (last 5 minutes). Worcestershire sauce makes a nice addition to soups. Some tomato paste for richness.

Can I suggest something from the Southwest? Lime juice. It's a good salt substitute and can bring a dish to life (OK, perhaps it works only in the hot desert).

Check out these ingredients -- though beef does add more punch to the broth than chicken would.

This example is from allrecipes at
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Caldo-De-Res-Beef-Soup/Detail.aspx
1 pound beef
1 tomato, quartered
2 potatoes, cubed
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1/2 medium head cabbage, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 fluid ounces fresh lime juice

I'd agree with too light on the mire poix and salt. It helps to go heavy on the aromatics, adding the bulk of your salt at this point (encourages the fond, too). Deglaze that with some wine or cognac, add the stock, and reduce the whole mix. If the original stock was a "light" one, you'd want to reduce by a lot. Do that before adding the "main" ingredients, which you only want to cook until just done.

Couldn't tell if the chicken was lefotver cooked chicken or if you started with raw chicken. If raw, browning it first is key. Do it before the sauteeing the mirepoix -- remove it when it's not quite done, and don't add it back until the very end. Use the same pan (uncleaned) to cook the aromatics. And I'd definitely brown the mushrooms first if you didn't do that.

Also, it sounds like you added your fresh herbs at the beginning. Did you supplement with some additional fresh herbs at the end? Herbs like thyme and rosemary are woody and fairly intensely flavored, so will stand up pretty well if added at the beginning. But soft herbs like parsley and basil and cilantro tend to lose their impact if added only at the first. Add more right at the very end, as you plate the soup.