Homemade soup is a great way to use up leftovers, but it can be tricky to get the flavour just right. Here’s the one ingredient that culinary experts say will take your soup to the next level
Nothing beats a steaming bowl of soup on a cold day, and it’s simple to prepare from scratch with minimal kit. Whether chunky vegetable, robust minestrone, or cream of chicken soup is your favourite, there are recipes available for every traditional flavour, plus countless variations.
However, anyone who’s attempted making soup at home will recognise that it often lacks depth, which comes so naturally in tinned varieties. A liberal sprinkling of cracked black pepper and salt might enhance the taste of a serving of soup, but culinary experts say you shouldn’t depend on seasoning to boost flavour.
I reached out to chefs across the UK to identify the one ingredient they always combine with this comforting dish, and they all gave the same answer, reports the Express.
Connor Robson, head chef at modern Italian restaurant Bar Gigi, told Express.co.uk: “Time, care and attention. Plus, a homemade stock is the backbone of any good soup.”
Conor says quick recipes won’t produce a truly scrumptious soup.
That said, you don’t require many ingredients to simmer a flavourful base.
He explained: “You can get some good shop-bought stock, but I prefer to make my own. It’s a brilliant way to use up leftovers and vegetable scraps, and it means nothing goes to waste.”
According to Nick Vadasz, chef and author of The Pickle Jar, soup bases aren’t restricted to classic root vegetables either. Whilst onions, celery and carrots are firm favourites for starting soup, Nick suggests incorporating fermented vegetables: “Sauerkraut and kimchi do the job for me”, he said.
“They work so well in giving depth of flavour and acidity and pack a much-needed punch, too, especially when you don’t have a good stock to hand.”
Nick acknowledges that there are plenty of good, fresh stock products available in supermarkets, which some soups just wouldn’t taste right without, be it “a bit of Maggi or Knorr”.
He said: “However, I’d rather make my own from a chicken carcass and some basic aromatics like onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves, etc. or the leftover brine from a pot of sauerkraut or kimchi.”
The catalogue of chef-endorsed soup components is extensive and diverse, but it excludes some seemingly popular remedies.
Chef Charlotte Pike, who penned The Soup Solution, observes that green vegetables should be used with “extreme caution” as they can very quickly turn yellow and overcook.
The exception is fresh herbs, which Antonio Raspone, executive chef of SW16 Bar & Kitchen, suggests are the only thing he’ll be seen garnishing soup with – never the dried kind.
According to the chefs, flour should be abandoned as a means of thickening soup, and replaced with potatoes instead.
Antonio said that potatoes are the one thing that makes his soup recipes delicious: “They add heartiness and soak up all the flavours of the broth and vegetables”, he said.
The celebrated London chef revealed: “They can be cubed, sliced, or even lightly mashed into the soup. Either way, they give you a lovely creamy texture without needing cream, making the whole dish more comforting and satisfying.”
Extracting maximum flavour from the stock provides a reliable method for ensuring delicious soup, although Antonio observes that the finest final flourishes are a splash of premium extra virgin olive oil and a dash of fresh lemon juice.
He explained: “The brightness lifts all the vegetables and herbs, balances the richness, and makes every spoonful taste alive. Whether it’s a minestrone or a lentil stew, that little finishing touch takes soup from good to unforgettable.”
