The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Make Cooking Soup (2024)

The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Make Cooking Soup (1)

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

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Up Next: 10 Simple Soups For The Chilliest Days

The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Make Cooking Soup (2)

The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Make Cooking Soup (2024)

FAQs

The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Make Cooking Soup? ›

Forgetting to add an acidic component

Failing to add an acidic component is perhaps the most common mistake everyone makes with homemade soup. To balance flavor and mouthfeel, each dish you create should have elements of fat, acid, sweetness, and salt. Often the fat comes from butter, oil, meat, or dairy.

What mistakes do cooks do when cooking soup? ›

Forgetting to add an acidic component

Failing to add an acidic component is perhaps the most common mistake everyone makes with homemade soup. To balance flavor and mouthfeel, each dish you create should have elements of fat, acid, sweetness, and salt. Often the fat comes from butter, oil, meat, or dairy.

What is the secret to good soup? ›

To make sure that every spoonful of soup is richly flavored, with juicy meat and/or tender vegetables, follow these kitchen-tested tips.
  • Use a Sturdy Pot. ...
  • Sauté the Aromatics. ...
  • Start with Good Broth. ...
  • Cut Vegetables to the Right Size. ...
  • Stagger the Addition of Vegetables. ...
  • Keep Liquid at a Simmer. ...
  • Season Just Before Serving.
Oct 9, 2022

What not to put in soup? ›

The Worst Things to Put in Your Soup
  1. By Sara Butler. If there's one good thing about fall and winter, it's soup. ...
  2. Heavy Cream. Heavy cream creates an inviting texture for soups but that's where its positive contributions end. ...
  3. Juice. ...
  4. Turkey Bacon. ...
  5. Cheese. ...
  6. Croutons.

What are the 7 categories of soup? ›

The Classification of Soup
  • Thin soups. It is a clear liquid food that is prepared without a thickening agent and can be served plain or garnished with a variety of vegetables and meats. ...
  • Passed soup – Consommé ...
  • Unpassed soup – Broth or Bouillon. ...
  • Thick soups. ...
  • Bisque. ...
  • Cream. ...
  • Velouté ...
  • Chowders.

Is soup better the longer it simmers? ›

The longer the stock cooks, the more flavorful your soup will be.

Why does soup taste better the longer you cook it? ›

An array of salty, umami, tangy elements move in and out of the components in the soup or stew, balancing and integrating the overall flavor. Cooking beans in broth allows them to absorb some flavor from their surrounding liquid; but letting them sit for hours in the broth does a much more complete job.

Why add celery to soup? ›

It can provide polyphenols (can boost digestive and help protect again disease) and fiber and that may have prebiotic like effects, supporting the growth of good bacteria in our gut. Celery can also support our adrenals as a medium stalk contains around 30 milligrams of sodium.

What are the most unhealthy soups? ›

The 5 Worst Soups for Weight Loss (and 5 to Try Instead)
  • 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. ...
  • Mushroom and barley soup. ...
  • Lumberjackie soup. ...
  • Chilled soups.
Jan 12, 2012

What is the best thing to put in the soup? ›

Dairy sources like milk, cheese, and yogurt can add protein and thicken the soup; so can ingredients like brown rice, quinoa, and other whole grains. Now's also the time to add any meat. If you want to use pasta or noodles, just be sure to keep in mind that they might get soggy or overcooked if you add them too soon.

What does adding flour to soup do? ›

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.

What are the qualities of a good 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 a thick soup called? ›

A potage is a category of thick soups, stews, or porridges, in some of which meat and vegetables are boiled together with water until they form a thick mush.

What are the common mistakes we make while cooking food? ›

Here are 14 mistakes to avoid while cooking:
  • Not Preheating Your Oven. This is one of the most common mistakes people make when baking. ...
  • Overcrowding Your Pan. ...
  • Using Too Much Oil. ...
  • Not Seasoning Your Food. ...
  • Cooking On Too High of a Heat. ...
  • Not Using Fresh Ingredients. ...
  • Not Letting Meat Rest. ...
  • Overcooking Vegetables.
Jan 3, 2023

What happens if you cook soup too long? ›

Boiling soup leads to mushy veggies and tough meat

Since boiling food brings it to a higher temperature, it's easy to think that it's a good way to cook your soup faster -– but boiling soup can backfire. According to Patch, boiling soup can make your vegetables fall apart, and your meat overcooked and tough.

What are the challenges of soup kitchens? ›

Soup kitchens have been hit by rising food costs and overheads amid a growing demand for the free meals they provide. Alif Amsyar finds out how they are coping. Soup kitchens have been hit by rising food costs and overheads amid a growing demand for the free meals they provide.

How do you fix bad 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.

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