How to make soup

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Posted at 10:02AM, 12 September 2012 by Caroline Hire - Food editor, bbcgoodfood.com

Chuck away the cook book, it's time to go freestyle with your soup. If you get an organic veg box or simply find a load of veg lurking in your fridge at the end of every week, then this is the perfect way to ensure your valued veg don't end up in the bin.

Base

A good base ensures every soup starts well. Begin with a medium onion and chop in a few basic vegetables to give a rounded flavour. A combination of one carrot, one stick of celery and one leek works well. Sweat these off with a knob of butter: that means heating the butter, dropping in the chopped vegetables, stirring to coat and putting the lid back on. Cook, with the occasional stir for 15 - 20 minutes to soften them.

Spice it up

A pinch of spice can work wonders in most soups. Cumin is a great all rounder, giving an earthy taste to pretty much most soups. For a Thai flavour, add fresh garlic and ginger and ground coriander. For Indian, add a pinch of cumin, turmeric, fenugreek or garam masala. Tomato soups can take on a Mexican or Spanish feel with a pinch of sweet smoked paprika. Don't be shy to combine your spices, if you add somewhere between a pinch and a teaspoon, they won't take over but will give you a depth of flavour.

The thick of it

If you like a smooth textured or hearty soup, then some type of thickener is required. You can add a peeled medium potato at the beginning with the other base vegetables or coat the veg with a spoonful of flour before adding the stock. A handful of red split lentils thrown in along with the stock will also thicken well. These usually need to be boiled for 15 - 20 minutes so check the pack instructions.

Stock

A good stock is another key essential when making soup. If you'd like to make homemade, check out our video guide to making stock. It's always good to have some of this at the ready in the freezer. Another great stock is the water you've used to boil a gammon - delicious. Again, freeze this until you need it. If you haven't got time or simply don't have homemade stock, buy a good quality one from the supermarket.

The main ingredient

If you want a particular ingredient to shine, then big up the quantities. Think about cooking times and then add at the appropriate time. Butternut squash can be added along with the base ingredients. Add broccoli stalks with the base ingredients but the tops later so they retain their colour and cook with the lid off. Spinach needs to be added a few minutes before the end to ensure it stays vibrant and tasty.

To blend or not to blend

It's really up to you if you blend your soup or not and when you do it. It can be nice to blend a leek and potato soup but then throw in a few finely sliced bits of leek a few minutes before the end to give a little texture. Chicken can become a bit grainy when blended, in this recipe for Thai chicken and sweet potato soup, the sweet potato is blended and then the chicken added and cooked after. If you're not planning to blend, cut chunks into no more than bite-sized pieces to make it easy to eat.

Garnishes

A sprinkling of finely sliced spring onions, a few croutons or a handful of chopped herbs make a great finish and will make your soup look much more appetising. Likewise a drizzle of cream or a dollop of crème fraîche and a grind of black pepper give a restaurant touch if you're serving to friends.

Still not sure? Check out our How to make soup video and Versatile veg soup recipe. You can also compare ideas in our soup collection or let us know your top tips below.

Comments

ShellyB

12 September 2012, 6:44PM
ShellyB

The basic soup recipe seems very complicated for a novice. try this for easy, fat free soup. (Quantities are only approximate as can add whatever you have in fridge or store cupboard) Two red peppers ( centres removed) chopped in medium pieces. Two large tomatoes ( skinned and core removed ) chopped (or tin of tomatoes) Two medium onions chopped in medium pieces Three table spoons of red lentils Two bay leaves Two tablespoons ful of small pasta pieces such as vermicelli. Cook all vegetables ( with bay leaves ) in one pint water until tender. - 15 - 20 minutes. ( the lentils will take this long) Remove bay leaves, and use stick blender to liquidise. Add the pasta, cook over gentle heat for 10 minutes until pasta is soft. Add more water to get desired consistency. Add pepper and salt to taste. and chopped parsley to serve.

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trinaz

15 September 2012, 9:41PM
trinaz

Thanks for all the great ideas!! With the winter ahead of us.. I think I will try some of these!

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whats4t

19 September 2012, 10:37AM
whats4t

Bacon, particularly smoked, is a good idea to"start" the base of soup with, gives lovely flavour if fried off before adding onions etc., and not much is needed to get that lovely home made taste in no time. I use it especially for pea soup, ham shanks are not as easy to get hold of these days. Don`t forget to ease off on any added salt though.

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gary

27 September 2012, 7:58AM
gary

try using a big bunch of fresh thyme,the flavour and aroma is unbelievable.

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Issy

21 October 2012, 8:30PM
Issy

Try roasting the vegetables in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil before adding into a soup. It really adds a depth of flavour and sweetness especially to butternut squash and root vegetables carrots and parsnips

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