How do you make a GREAT pot of soup?

I’m sort of known as the soup lady. I love soup, it’s my go-to meal any time of year. It’s perfect for those little bits of leftovers, the last few vegetables in the crisper, the little bits of proteins that didn’t get eaten.

But what’s the secret to a great pot of soup?

First, to make a great soup, you need a great base of flavour.
The yummiest soups always have the most flavourful broths as the backbone. Lately I’ve been using frozen bones from my freezer and cooking up a pot of bone broth as I’m prepping all the vegetables and using that broth, fresh and hot from the pot, to create an amazing flavourful base.
Second, sweat your aromatic vegetables in oil before adding the other ingredients- I like to use flavoured olive oil to add more flavour, and if that isn’t available, I’ll add some of the more robust herbs and spices to add their essence to the pot- it gets enhanced when released into oil. Spices such as cumin seeds, fennel seeds, freshly grated black pepper or peppercorns, and so on work well for this.
Third, add your vegetables and grain. I love brightly coloured, tender-crisp vegetables and “just done” pasta- mushy doesn’t do it for me. By adding grains and root vegetables such as carrots at the same time, the whole soup will come together perfectly. If you must have pasta. cook it separately and add at the end. There is definitely a time for pasta! I'll throw in frozen peas or corn right at the end as well, for added colour, texture, and nutrition.
When it comes to proteins: if already cooked, add them just before serving to heat them through in the soup. If you’re cooking meat as part of your soup, add it after the aromatics.

Questions? Reach out!
Be well!
Yours,
Stacy

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