There are those among us who can live solely on bowls of soup (and the occasional cereal and milk — they’re in the same family). You don’t need to overthink soups. But if you want to get some direction on which vegetables and flavors harmonize well together, our FT staff is here to share their favorite combinations.

Butternut Squash Soup

I sometimes serve this on Friday night as an alternative to chicken soup.

• 2 large onions, diced
• oil, for sautéing
• 2 24-oz (680-g) bags frozen butternut squash cubes
• 1 pkg turkey necks (about 3–4 necks)
• salt and white pepper, to taste
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Sauté the onions. Add the frozen butternut squash and turkey necks. Fill the pot with water to cover it all. Bring to a boil, then lower and cook for at least 1 hour (but you can forget about it and leave it for a while; the turkey will get nice and soft). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add cayenne pepper for a subtle kick.

Remove turkey necks and blend. Return turkey to pot and serve hot.

—Chaya Perel Nojowitz, graphics