Stock and Soup tips
[edit] Tips for soup
- Not all soups are made with stock, however it’s good to have stock either in the refrigerator or the freezer ready to turn into soup with freshly-cooked vegetables. Try not to use stock cubes as they tend to be very salty and are inclined to give soups a ‘sameness’.
- Don’t boil soup too much. It will lose colour and flavour if overcooked.
- You can use cheaper cuts of meat, because simmering them for several hours helps make the meat tender.
- You can thicken a chunky soup without using flour and butter or eggs by puréeing a portion of the soup and stirring it back into the pot.
- Use a handheld stick blender to blend soups to a creamy consistency without adding a lot of milk or cream.
- Make a double batch of your family’s favourite soup recipe and freeze one batch for a quick meal when you’re running low on time.
- Don’t add pastas too early; they will overcook and become mushy.
[edit] Adding Flavour Without Salt
It’s all too common to grab for the salt if your soup or sauce is lacking. I rarely find the need to do this, though. There are far better ways to elevate the taste without increasing the sodium level...
- First, start with lots of ingredients for your stock. Bones, veggies, and lots of herbs will give you a good starting base.
- Use reduction to increase flavour. By reducing your soup or stock by half, you will have already doubled it’s flavour.
- Make sure you don’t add any salt before reducing, it will become as concentrated as canned soup.
- If it still needs a “certain something”, try a few drops of quality wine, lemon or lime juice, or your choice of vinegar.
- If after these steps it still needs salt, it sure won’t be much
[edit] Reductions - The Simplest of Sauces
OK... You've browned off your meat (steak, chicken, pork loin, etc.) in your saute pan. It's nearly ready to serve.
Now, what are you gonna do for a quick sauce?
Try this, it'll work everytime. Place your meat in a warm oven for 5 minutes and:
- Add a tbsp. of oil or butter to the pan (stock for the diet conscious)
- Toss in a little finely chopped onion and garlic.
- Saute for a couple minutes.
- Add 1/2 cup of white or red wine (or cider, fruit juice, etc.)
- Bring to a boil until it becomes a thin syrup (about 3 minutes)
You now have a great sauce with BIG flavor for your entree! This makes enough for 4 servings.
[edit] Use homemade stock
- This is probably the one thing that makes soups excellent. It is super simple, frugal and tasty.
- Chicken stock goes well in all soups and stews and is probably the easiest to make since most people don’t buy beef with bones in it.
- I like to roast a chicken in the crock pot and then when I have taken off all of the meat I will cover the carcass with water, add a couple of splashes of apple cider vinegar to draw out the nutrients and then put it on low and let it simmer for about 12-18 hours.
- You can add onions, celery or carrots if you’d like as well. Simply strain the bones and vegetables into a collander or sieve and store your stock in the freezer or refrigerator for up to a week.
- This can make plenty of stock and you can even boil it down into a concentrated stock so that it takes up less space in your freezer. If you have stock, you have the basis for many quick dinners.
[edit] Add acidity
I find that lemon juice, lime juice or apple cider vinegar are best for anything containing chicken or a lighter flavored legume. Red wine vinegar works well in chilis and beef soups, especially when tomatoes are involved.
[edit] Take into account your vegetables’ cooking times
Things like onions and celery are great to put into a soup pot at the beginning of the cooking time, but vegetables like broccoli and green beans are best when not overcooked, so throw them in during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.
[edit] Let your soups cool, just slightly
Most brothy and bean-based soups taste best when not taken just off of the stove. In fact if a soup is too hot you can’t really taste all of the nuances of flavor you have worked so hard to put into it. Let it cool for maybe 5 minutes or so before serving.
[edit] Add the cream last
If your soup requires milk or cream add it at the very end and don’t let it boil. It can curdle if it is heated too high and will not be tasty. If you are freezing your soup freeze it without the cream or add it and use a very low flame when reheating.
[edit] Add contrasting flavors and textures
If you are serving a creamy pureed soup such as butternut squash, garnish it with a bit of crunchy apple or croûtons or even toasted pumpkin seeds. The texture difference will bring out the creaminess of the soup. Also, if you are serving a long simmered soup or stew add a bit of freshness at the end in the form of an herb. Think parsley or thyme in chicken soups, cilantro in Mexican soups and fresh basil in anything Italian or tomato-based.
[edit] Add a Finishing Touch
For any kind of soup, don’t underestimate the impact of a garnish to add contrast, eye-appeal, and an embellishment of flavors.
A few ideas:
- Goldfish crackers or crumbled Saltines over tomato soup.
- Crumbled bacon, chives, and shredded cheddar over potato soup.
- Oversized croutons and melted cheese over french onion soup.
- Truffle oil over mushroom soup.
- A dollop of sour cream over tortilla soup.
- Oregano or basil over minestrone.
- A spoonful of pesto over vegetable soup.
