Tips for Souping

I still remember the very first recipe I tried to make from scratch was soup and boy oh boy was it a train wreck. It was essentially water with greens floating in it, pretty much as offensively bad as one can imagine. After that fiasco, I told myself soup was way too hard to make and stayed away from it for months unless I was using a recipe I could follow. That failure eventually drove me to try again and again until I started getting the hang of things. Making soup is now one of my favourite things to make but that's because there are some very simple things one must consider when making soup to ensure it is delicious and flavourful every time.

SEASONINGS

It's important to know when the right time is to season and with what. When you are sauteeing your veggies prior to adding your liquids, I always start with pepper flakes, sea salt, and any other spice I want my soup to be defined by. For example, if you're headed in a Mexican inspired direction, sauteeing your veggies with chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder is a great idea. Thinking of an Indian inspired soup? Try sauteeing your veggies with cumin, curry powder, and garlic once again. Once the liquids are in, you can reinforce those flavours with the same spices and include some new flavours as well. It's super important to wait until your soup is boiling before adding your spices because they can clump together first of all and secondly, their flavours are activated by the heat of the soup.

LAYER YOUR VEGGIES / SEASONINGS

It's super tempting to throw everything in the pot with some water / stock and just boil it but you're missing the opportunity to build flavours in your broth which is basically the most important part of the soup. A bland broth sets the stage for a basic bitch soup that you will not enjoy.

After your oil / butter are melted, start by dropping in some garlic and pepper flakes. Let those simmer away for a minute or two and then add your onion, celery, carrot etc. Add the spices you're trying to build your broth with after a few more minutes etc. Adding ingredients like this will build flavour and by the time you add your water / stock, you've already developed some killer flavours that just need a little love when your soup boils to really pop.

THE RIGHT TIME TO ADD HERBS

Adding herbs like basil, thyme, or parsley can really add some much needed freshness to your soup but it's important to know when to add them to maximize their flavours / freshness.

PARSLEY, BASIL, CORIANDER, CHIVES - These should be added right at the end when the soup is finished or even as fresh garnishes. They lose their beautiful colour quite quickly and therefore their freshness is also lost. 

THYME, ROSEMARY, SAGE - These savoury herbs can be added during the sauteeing of the veggies and plucked out when the soup comes to a boil. They'll add a wonderful earth savouriness to the broth. Thyme and rosemary can also be added at the end as well to reinforce those flavours but make sure to pluck them off their branches.

​When it comes to DRIED HERBS, these are fine to add at any time but it's best to add them early on to help develop the soups flavour. Once again, if you're going to add them mid soup, make sure the soup is boiling before adding them in!

ADDING THINGS AT THE RIGHT TIME

Grains like barley or rice are going to need time to cook so don't think about adding them at the end or you'll be eating crunchy grains. I like to toast my grains while my veggies are sauteeing before adding my liquids. Once the soup boils, expect at least 15 - 20 minutes or more before they are fully cooked. 

On the opposite end of the scale, adding ingredients like canned beans or fresh spinach too early will leave you with mushy beans and undesirable spinach. I like to add these ingredients within the last 5 minutes before I intend to serve ensuring that they hold together.

SALTING AND PEPPERING

Just as important as any other seasonings you're going to add, salt and pepper play a crucial role in the development of flavours in a soup but there's a time and a place for both!

As far as salt, every time you add another ingredient (layer) to the soup, you should be salting to help bring out those flavours. After the liquids go in, no more salt until the soup is finished cooking and you can taste to see what more is needed. Also, make sure to buy LOW SODIUM STOCK or you risk oversalting and there's honestly nothing worse than a bowl of salt.

As far as pepper, it runs the risk of going extremely bitter if overcooked so when you're sauteeing your veggies, a little pepper goes a long way. Pepper should be ground in at the end and you should repeatedly taste your soup to determine how much more is needed.

Honestly, once you make your first batch of soup and it turns out just the way you thought it would, it's pretty awe-inspiring. You'll start souping once a week I can guarantee it and there's nothing wrong with that. Making big old batches of soup is great because you can freeze excess for a future meal. Just make sure you've dated your tupperware otherwise you could be eating frostbitten soup from long ago!

HAPPY VEG