Perfecting The Art Of Homemade Soups

Warm, savory, and satisfying all ways to describe a steaming bowl of homemade soup. Oftentimes, even the most creative culinary enthusiast shies away from making soup. This may be due to a lack of experience or simply because theyre afraid that their chicken noodle or tomato bisque wont turn out exactly right. Read on to learn the secrets to perfecting the art of homemade soup.
Use Real Ingredients
Notice real, not fresh. When making soup, one of the most important factors to hearty and flavorful results is forethought. Simply put, you need to take stock of your leftover meat and bones before you begin creating your soup. Toss a ham bone with some cooks chunks of meat on it into the freezer after youre had supper for use later, or hold on to that chicken or turkey carcass as a way to flavor your noodle soup.
Another real but not exactly fresh ingredient that will make your soup wonderful? Homemade meat or vegetable stock can be made ahead of time and frozen for later use. Keep it on hand to heighten the richness and flavor of your soups, stews, potatoes and pasta, with less sodium than the store brands.
Add your stock to your pot along with your meat and bones first, to begin your soup. Bring to a simmer while you ready the next ingredients.
And Now Be Fresh
Fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables are the healthy way to add flavor and fiber to your soup. Chop your veggies and fruits and mince your herbs with a good chopping knife, for well-shaped pieces and even cooking times. Always use a separate carving board for your veggies and herbs so there is no concern of salmonella or other bacteria.
You can use whatever veggies and herbs you happen to have on hand, but some of the more common veggies and herbs for meat soups are celery, carrots, onions, fresh garlic, thyme, basil, oregano and dill.
Add Some Starch
To add a little more hearty to your soup, starches like noodles, rice or potatoes are a great way to finish off your soup ingredients. Add them once the soup is almost done cooking to avoid mushiness in the texture.
The Final Step
Salt and pepper your soup, to taste, at the end of the cooking process, and then take it off the heat. Cover and let sit for about 20 minutes to let the salt and pepper bring out the natural flavors of all your ingredients.

Source: articlesnatch

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