FAQs
A squeeze of citrus, a dollop of yogurt or a drizzle of cream, a dusting of cheese or a good chile powder, a sprinkling of some herbs or croutons — all can take a perfectly fine soup into the realm of the delectable. Even a spiral of good olive oil to finish and some coarse sea salt can do wonders.
Is it okay to eat homemade soup every day? ›
What Experts Say. "The concept of eating soup to lose weight has spanned decades, but experts say an all-soup diet lacks nutrients and is not sustainable. They do agree it can be smart to eat vegetable-packed soups for some meals, though, as these are filling, nutrient-dense, and low in calories."
How do you make vegetable soup not taste bland? ›
Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples
Add a splash of vinegar (any kind!), or a squeeze of citrus. Chances are, you could use a little more salt. Go ahead—it's ok. Salt perks up flat flavors and helps balance out bitter-tasting ingredients.
What gives vegetable soup that depth of flavor? ›
Tips for Flavorful Vegetable Soup
Flavor the base: We add Italian seasoning and tomato paste to the aromatics and warm them up to bring the seasonings back to life. You could use fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary, or even add a Parmesan rind for more flavor.
How can I deepen my soup flavor? ›
"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says. The choice of ingredient depends on the recipe, though.
What is the flavorful liquid that adds more flavor to a vegetable meal? ›
Soy sauce or liquid aminos
These dark brown liquids bring both saline punch and some welcome caramelized flavor to dishes, along with a good boost of umami.
What is the most important ingredient in soup? ›
For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.
What not to put in soup? ›
The Worst Things to Put in Your Soup
- By Sara Butler. If there's one good thing about fall and winter, it's soup. ...
- Heavy Cream. Heavy cream creates an inviting texture for soups but that's where its positive contributions end. ...
- Juice. ...
- Turkey Bacon. ...
- Cheese. ...
- Croutons.
How to liven up vegetable soup? ›
A little tomato sauce, garlic, salt, and bay leaves while cooking was Patty's recommendation. Barbara said, “I add a beef billion cube, oregano, basil and garlic.” That would definitely spice up the soup. The bullion usually adds a lot of sodium so you get a lot of salty flavor. “Six pepper, sparingly”, Laureen said.
What thickens vegetable soup? ›
6 ways to thicken soup:
- Blend all or part of it. If you've made a broth with chunks of vegetable in it, such as minestrone soup, then pour the soup through a sieve. ...
- Add cream or yogurt. ...
- Add flour or cornflour. ...
- Use a butter and flour paste. ...
- Blend in bread. ...
- Add lentils or rice.
Directions
- Saute aromatics: In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high. ...
- Deepen the base: Stir in oregano or thyme and/or tomato paste or Parmesan rind. ...
- Choose your liquid: ...
- Add starchy vegetables: ...
- Add vegetables: ...
- Add rice and greens: ...
- Ladle soup into bowls.
Should you put olive oil in vegetable soup? ›
It's time to ring the changes: out with butter, in with extra-virgin olive oil. Swapping the saturated fats in butter for the (heart-friendly) unsaturated fats in extra-virgin olive oil for tastier, healthier vegetable soup. It's all good, so what are you waiting for!
What should be added to enrich the flavor of the soup? ›
Here are 10 ideas:
- Add Fresh Herbs. Take a page from My New Roots author Sarah Britton and turn to herbs whenever you need a simple way to perk up a pot of soup. ...
- Add Greens. ...
- Add Toasted Nuts. ...
- Add Croutons. ...
- Add Poached Eggs. ...
- Or Something Fishy. ...
- Drizzle With Flavored Oil. ...
- Or Flavored Cream.
How to spice up a can of vegetable soup? ›
But to put some pep back in your soup's step, you're going to want to add more. Start by sautéing any combination of finely chopped vegetables and alliums—like onion, garlic, carrots, celery, bell peppers, and ginger. Whatever you choose is going to infuse the entire can of soup you're about to heat.
What can boost the flavor of meat and vegetables in soup? ›
You can extract a clean, strong broth from a combination of water and several pantry ingredients. It's all about layering powerful flavor-enhancers that you probably already have on hand—bacon, tomato paste, herbs, peppercorns, a Parmesan rind, and, of course, kosher salt.
What can you put in soup that tastes good? ›
These garnishes impart a little extra flavor and make your soup look restaurant-worthy.
- Chopped herbs, such as chives, cilantro, dill or parsley.
- Dusting of spice, such as cumin, paprika or white pepper.
- Lemon, lime or orange zest.
- Shaved, crumbled or grated cheese, such as feta, Parmesan or Pecorino.