1. Boiling instead of simmering
You want a small bubble or two to rise to the surface of the liquid every few seconds. More than that and your meat and vegetables will come out dry and overcooked.
2. Not using enough salt
Nothing is as crucial as seasoning correctly. Taste as you go. While you can use a recipe as a guideline, learn to trust your own tastebuds.
3. Ignoring water
Think you can't make a delicious soup because you don't have broth? Just use water instead. Trust us on this one. In fact, you're better off using water than an inferior broth. Before you dump in a can or container of broth, taste it. If you wouldn't eat it as is, why would you want to add it your soup? You may even find you prefer soups made with water, which really let the ingredients shine. Just be aware that when you use water, it's particularly important to add the right amount of salt. A personal trick: Throw in a rind of Parmesan cheese to help flavor the soup as it simmers.
RELATED: 11 Common Cooking Disasters You Can Fix
4. Overcooking the vegetables
Let's say you're making white bean soup. Start by sautéing onions, garlic, maybe celery, then adding the water and beans, and simmering. Add the carrots in the last half hour or so or when the beans are close to tender. That way the carrots will come out cooked but not mushy. Ditto, for other veggies…add them according to how much time they need to cook.
5. Adding tomatoes at the beginning
The acid in tomatoes can keep beans and vegetables crunchy. Don't add the tomatoes until the final 20 minutes when all of the other ingredients are close to tender.
6. Neglecting to garnish
A handful of fresh herbs, freshly-ground pepper, a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, and crunchy croutons add the finishing touches in terms of both flavor and texture. When I make lentil or split pea soup, I like to add a splash of balsamic vinegar or squirt of fresh lemon juice to each bowl to brighten the flavor. Other good last minute add-ins: a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, toasted pumpkin seeds, or a spoonful of pesto.
7. Not trying a pressure cooker
If you're afraid of using a pressure cooker, it's time to get over it. With multiple safety features, today's models are fail-proof. Why use one, you ask? When your hubby calls to tell you he's coming down with a cold, if you pick up a chicken, you can have homemade soup on the table in under an hour. Check out our review of both stovetop and electric models before you make a purchase.
TELL US: What's your secret to the perfect soup?
NEXT: Cooking Tips You Need from Expert Chefs
Sharon Franke is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances lab.
Photo: Jason Lugo/Getty Images
Up Next: 10 Simple Soups For The Chilliest Days
FAQs
Basic principles of preparing soup are also outlined, including starting with cold water, cutting vegetables to size, selecting protein, simmering, and skimming.
What mistakes do cooks do when cooking soup? ›
The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Make Cooking Soup
- Boiling instead of simmering. You want a small bubble or two to rise to the surface of the liquid every few seconds. ...
- Not using enough salt. ...
- Ignoring water. ...
- Overcooking the vegetables. ...
- Adding tomatoes at the beginning. ...
- Neglecting to garnish. ...
- Not trying a pressure cooker.
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.
Basic principles of preparing soup are also outlined, including starting with cold water, cutting vegetables to size, selecting protein, simmering, and skimming.
When to add potatoes to soup? ›
Directions. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion; cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. While onions are cooking, place diced potatoes, carrots, water, and chicken bouillon in another pot and bring to a boil.
Should you add butter to soup? ›
A bit of fat, usually in the form of butter and olive oil, is essential to making a robust soup. Fat is also a vehicle for flavor, and helps to brown vegetables.
What gives soup more Flavour? ›
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 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 is the secret ingredient in soup? ›
It may sound a bit strange and unusual for some, but vinegar is a common ingredient in some soup recipes, and there is a good reason for it. If you think about it, vinegar is really a flavor-enhancer (umami). That's why it is so often used in cooking, sauces, and salad dressings. The same is true with soups.
Is soup better if it simmers longer? ›
Broth needs to simmer for less time because it includes both meat and bones, but it still benefits from a good long simmer to extract the best flavor. Either may also be simmered longer to reduce the liquid and concentrate the flavors.
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.
What are the most unhealthy soups? ›
Just avoid these five soups listed below, and swap them out for the healthier alternatives we've provided:
- Clam chowder. Anything with the word "chowder" in it is probably going to be high in cream, fat, and calories. ...
- Potato soup. ...
- Lobster bisque. ...
- Chili. ...
- Broccoli and cheese soup.
A soup's quality is determined by its flavor, appearance and texture. A good soup should be full-flavored, with no off or sour tastes. Flavors from each of the soup's ingre- dients should blend and complement, with no one flavor overpowering another. Con- sommés should be crystal clear.
What is the most critical part in preparing soup dishes? ›
The Foundation: Broths and Stocks
The rich tapestry of flavors in homemade soup begins with its base – the broth or stock. These liquid foundations absorb the essences of anything they touch, hence the insistence on simmering them gently to achieve a depth that sets the tone for your dish.
What are the 7 things soup does? ›
There is an Italian saying: “La zuppa fa sette cose.” It means “Soup does seven things.” Soup quenches thirst, satisfies hunger, fills your stomach, aids digestion, makes teeth sparkle, adds color to cheeks and aids sleep. In other words, soup cures most, if not all human ills.
What are the common mistakes we make while cooking food? ›
Take a look at our list of five common cooking mistakes to ensure you prepare your next dish properly and perfectly.
- Packing Your Pans to the Brim. ...
- Improper Preparation. ...
- Adding Food Too Early. ...
- Going Rogue. ...
- You Overcook or Undercook.
Overcooked food is harder to metabolize and digest than food that has been properly prepared. Nutrients, especially in vegetables, are also lost in the cooking process.
What are the challenges of soup kitchens? ›
“The biggest neds of the soup kitchens are ingredients as well as operational costs – we are talking about gas, electricity and airtime, as well as cleaning material for the 300 litre-pots,” she said. “Donor fatigue is real and present.
