Vegetable Soups Built for Maximum Flavor (Published 2016) (2024)

FAQs

What will give my Vegetable soup more flavor? ›

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.

The two basic categories of soup are clear soups and thick soups, with broths and consommés being clear, and bisques and chowders as examples of thick soups.

When I think of vegetable soup, I think of a thin, flat-tasting soup with no fat — aka, no flavor! Here's how we fix that in this Vegetable Soup recipe: Adding a parmesan cheese rind to the simmering soup infuses it with salty, umami flavor. This is SUCH an easy way to add tons of flavor to soup.

Vinegar – A spoonful of vinegar is a quick fix when you find yourself with a bowl of dull, flat-tasting soup. Just a small amount of acid will brighten up the flavors. 2. Soy Sauce – Soy sauce is another item that's ideal for brightening up and adding depth of flavor to an otherwise dull soup.

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.

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

To avoid under- or overcooking the vegetables, cut them in uniform sizes, and test multiple pieces for doneness, whether you roast them in an oven or sweat them with fat in the bottom of the soup pot before adding liquid.

Foods in the Brassica family, such as collards, are too strong for stock/broth and can impart a bitter taste.

Should you put olive oil in vegetable soup? ›

Use 1/2 cup or more of extra virgin olive oil for the soup. And, don't forget the secret ingredient for building a better vegetable soup: extra virgin olive oil, lots of it.

While certain vegetables can work just fine added directly to simmering soups and stews (say, carrots and celery), other vegetables (onions, garlic, and the like) will almost always need at least a brief sweat in a fat-based liquid before adding the remaining ingredients.

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.

You can also go with more heat and spices. "Ground paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ground ginger, and other powdered spices add a touch of color and spiciness to broths," she says. As a general rule, use fresh herbs at or near the end of cooking and dried herbs and spices early on.

How do you make soup more flavorful? Depending on what kind of soup you have, there are lots of things that add flavor. Black pepper can give an “after burn" to any recipe. Worcestershire sauce, Maggi sauce, tomato paste, fresh herbs, mustard, vinegar, bouquet garni, garlic, hot sauce, soy sauce.

Fresh herbs, onions, garlic, ginger and chili peppers are also good choices. Toasted nuts, sauces like oyster sauce, soy sauce and tomato sauce do the trick too. You can also use juice, a fresh-squeezed lemon, or vinegar to give the taste of your veggies a twist.