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Secrets to Soup Making: How to Make a Flavorful Soup
Secrets to Soup Making: How to Make a Flavorful Soup
Secrets to Soup Making: How to Make a Flavorful Soup
Its that time of year again, when a flavorful, hearty bowl of soup is just what the doctor ordered. Theres something about a piping-hot bowl of soup during the colder months that bring not just warmth to your tummy, but genuinely warm and fuzzy feelings, like pleasure and comfort and peacefulness. With that said, one of the biggest obstacles many face when making soup is helping the flavors pop. Sometimes you simply dont have time to simmer it all day. Obviously, the longer you can simmer it, the more flavor-rich it will be, but there are other ways to make your soup shine.
Tip 1: Use Whole Sprigs of Herbs
Not only are fresh herbs great for garnishing that beautiful bowl of sustenance, they are great to cook with too. When you use them as garnish, the soup warms them up and their aromas are released, which is all part of creating a great experience. However, when using them to cook, they can add amazing flavor. You can add a few sprigs and as the soup cooks, the leaves will often just fall off them stem. Then you can fish the stems out before serving and the tasty goodness is left behind, where it belongs. It makes using fresh herbs super simple, sans all that chopping and mincing.
Tip 2: Add Poultry Seasoning to Veggie Soups
No, youre not adding chicken to that veggie blend, calm down all you vegans! Poultry seasoning is actually only a blend of spices like dried sage, thyme and sometimes rosemary, celery seed, marjoram and black pepper. Its designed to give food a great woodsy flavor, and it makes a great addition to pump up your veggie soups flavor when you dont have the time or the inclination to slave over your broth. Its a secret to enhancing just about any veggie-packed soup so well, no one will even know you used a shortcut.
Tip 3: Add Roasted Garlic
Roasted garlic is an extremely versatile ingredient. Not only can it be used to add some major depth and flavor to just about any soup, its also great for other things too, like hummus, marinades and much more. So you can roast a whole head or two and then get multiple uses out of all that goodness. Adding roasted garlic to your soup gives it a nice, sweetly nutty flavor thats mmm mmm good!
Tip 4: Bump up Your Dried Spices
Dried spices and herbs can be extremely potent and really ramp up your soups flavor. However, be careful because a little can go a long way. You can use dried spices like sage, thyme, rosemary, or bay leaves and experiment to see what works best for your soup and your palate. You can also try dried spices like onion, garlic and different variations of salt. The nice thing about dried herbs and spices is they have a long shelf life, so you arent running to the store every time you decide to make a pot of soup.
Tip 5: Use Yogurt in Your Soup
Yogurt is often used as a garnish for soup, but its also great for adding creaminess and a slight tang. Though its not actually cream, so dont expect it to have the same consistency or taste. Its thicker than cream and because of the tang it will add a little extra to your soups flavor. Its a great ingredient for almost any type of soup unless youre going for a sweet flavor. You can also cut the thickness with a bit of chicken or veggie broth if your soup is already thick.
Tip 6: Try Some Sesame Oil
Sesame oil has a seriously nutty flavor that pairs well with so many seasonings, it makes it a great addition to many types of soups and stews. Obviously, if your soup has an Asian bent, it will be amazing, but you can also use it in other soups that use ingredients dominant in Asian dishes. Things like chicken, beef, legumes, ginger, green onions, shrimp, rice, zucchini and more. Experiment by drizzling it in while your soup cooks, or adding it once its almost ready to eat. Try it with different veggies and blends and savor all that extra flavor and yumminess. As you can see, there are many ways to ramp up your soup game and add flavor and oomph. These tips are a great start, but you can also experiment with adding other ingredients to your soup for flavor, like vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce (just go easy on added salt), fish sauce, beer, salsa, pesto and more. You might just be surprised at how quickly your next pot of soup disappears!