Simple tips for delicious soups
This time of year is perfect for soups, stews and chilis. Here are a few tips I have learned to make whatever is simmering in your pot delicious.
Use homemade stock. This is probably the one thing that makes soups excellent. It is super simple, frugal and tasty. Chicken stock goes well in all soups and stews and is probably the easiest to make since most people don’t buy beef with bones in it. I like to roast a chicken in the crock pot and then when I have taken off all of the meat I will cover the carcass with water, add a couple of splashes of apple cider vinegar to draw out the nutrients and then put it on low and let it simmer for about 12-18 hours. You can add onions, celery or carrots if you’d like as well. Simply strain the bones and vegetables into a collander or sieve and store your stock in the freezer or refrigerator for up to a week. This can make plenty of stock and you can even boil it down into a concentrated stock so that it takes up less space in your freezer. If you have stock, you have the basis for many quick dinners.
Add acidity. I find that lemon juice, lime juice or apple cider vinegar are best for anything containing chicken or a lighter flavored legume. Red wine vinegar works well in chilis and beef soups, especially when tomatoes are involved.
Take into account your vegetables’ cooking times. Things like onions and celery are great to put into a soup pot at the beginning of the cooking time, but vegetables like broccoli and green beans are best when not overcooked, so throw them in during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.
Let your soups cool, just slightly. Most brothy and bean-based soups taste best when not taken just off of the stove. In fact if a soup is too hot you can’t really taste all of the nuances of flavor you have worked so hard to put into it. Let it cool for maybe 5 minutes or so before serving.
Add the cream last. If your soup requires milk or cream add it at the very end and don’t let it boil. It can curdle if it is heated too high and will not be tasty. If you are freezing your soup freeze it without the cream or add it and use a very low flame when reheating.
Add contrasting flavors and textures. If you are serving a creamy pureed soup such as butternut squash, garnish it with a bit of crunchy apple or croûtons or even toasted pumpkin seeds. The texture difference will bring out the creaminess of the soup. Also, if you are serving a long simmered soup or stew add a bit of freshness at the end in the form of an herb. Think parsley or thyme in chicken soups, cilantro in Mexican soups and fresh basil in anything Italian or tomato-based.
Do you have any great tips for making soups?
For more kitchen tips, visit Tammy’s Recipes.
Thanks for the tips – I love making soup and make it often. But I rarely make my own broth – so I’ll need to try it.
Wish I had read your tip on letting soup cool before serving – a couple of months ago I made my first batch of soup for our Wed. night church group. B/c I added pasta at the end – I did have it boiling to cook the pasta and so when it was served it was piping hot. I thought it wasn’t so great. Well there were a lot of leftovers which I took home and freezed. Those leftovers were far better than the soup the first night.
I agree that homemade stock is so easy and economical and makes a huge difference. I make a potato leek soup that is really nothing more than sauteed leeks and boiled/pureed potatoes, but with homemade chicken stock it’s so rich and satisfying.
My tip? Be creative and use what you have on hand. We all see recipes for great soups, but a basic vegetable soup with whatever veggies are in the fridge can be great too. And I like to use canned vegetable juice to boost the nutritional value of soups, too.
Great tips! Besides adding a splash of vinegar or citrus juice at the end (or pickle juice!) my other secret to good soup is to sautee the dried herbs in with the onion. I used to add dried herbs in with the liquid part and they always seemed to float to the top and not add much flavor. Sauteeing them in oil first seems to let their flavors bloom and allow them to incorportate into the soup better.
Also, along with the adding contrasting flavors/textures I would remind folks to add fermented vegetables/dairy to their soups. Sauerkraut goes great with so many vegetable soups, and I add cortido or spicy carrot pickles to any soup that is remotely mexican flavored. Ditto on the kim chi and asian flavors. The fermented foods are so good for you and if you add them after the soup has cooled a bit they are still active and alive.
Great blog!