Cover a baking sheet with waxed paper. Place soup bones in a large shallow roasting pan. Bake in a 450-degree oven about 30 minutes or until well browned, turning once.

Place soup bones in a large Dutch oven. Pour 1/2-cup water into the roasting pan, scraping up crusty browned bits. Add water mixture to Dutch oven. Add carrots, onions, peppers, bay leaves, basil or thyme, garlic, salt, and ten cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 3-1/2 hours. Remove soup bones.

Pour broth through a large sieve or colander lined with 2 layers of cheesecloth. Discard vegetables and seasonings. If desired, clarify broth.* If using the broth while hot, skim fat. (Or chill broth, then lift off fat.) If desired, when bones are cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones and reserve meat for another use. Discard bones. Store broth and reserved meat, if any, in separate covered containers in the refrigerator up to 3 days or in the freezer up to 6 months.

*Note:
For crystal-clear soups, use broth that's been clarified. First, separate an egg, saving the yolk for another use. In a Dutch oven or kettle combine your strained broth, 1/4 cup cold water, and the egg white. Bring to boiling. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Strain the broth through a large sieve or colander lined with several layers of damp, 100 percent cotton cheesecloth.