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
Sharon Franke is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances lab.
Photo: Jason Lugo/Getty Images
Up Next: 10 Simple Soups For The Chilliest Days
FAQs
Boiling soup leads to mushy veggies and tough meat
According to Patch, boiling soup can make your vegetables fall apart, and your meat overcooked and tough. Boiling causes rapid movement for the food in the pot, which allows your ingredients to bump into each other and start to break down, Bake Instinct explains.
What is a common mistake that cooks make when preparing soup? ›
Common Mistakes Everyone Makes With Soup
- Failing to thicken it properly. Marian Curko/Shutterstock. ...
- Forgetting to add an acidic component. ...
- Sticking to salt and pepper. ...
- Overcooking your vegetables. ...
- Forgetting to garnish. ...
- Adding your aromatics too late. ...
- Forgetting to caramelize your onions. ...
- Adding grains too early.
The Worst Things to Put in Your Soup
- By Sara Butler. If there's one good thing about fall and winter, it's soup. ...
- Heavy Cream. Heavy cream creates an inviting texture for soups but that's where its positive contributions end. ...
- Juice. ...
- Turkey Bacon. ...
- Cheese. ...
- Croutons.
7 Easy Ways to Make Any Soup Better
- Brown or Sear the Meat. ...
- Roast the the Veggies. ...
- Mix up the Texture. ...
- Use Homemade Stock Whenever Possible. ...
- Put Your Cheese Rinds to Work. ...
- Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples. ...
- Add Fresh Herbs or Dairy When Serving.
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.
Boiling soup leads to mushy veggies and tough meat
According to Patch, boiling soup can make your vegetables fall apart, and your meat overcooked and tough. Boiling causes rapid movement for the food in the pot, which allows your ingredients to bump into each other and start to break down, Bake Instinct explains.
What vegetables can you not put in soup? ›
Some vegetables that don't do well in stock are:
- Leafy green parts of carrots and celery.
- Brassicas, including cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, rutabagas, collard greens, kohlrabi, and kale.
- Artichokes.
- Beets.
- Potatoes and sweet potatoes.
- Squash flesh, including winter squash and zucchini.
Just avoid these five soups listed below, and swap them out for the healthier alternatives we've provided:
- 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.
3 Foods to avoid for high blood pressure
Avoid canned foods and soups as they tend to contain lots of sodium. Canned beans for example, can contain as much as 500mg of sodium per serving. However, there are some canned foods with lower sodium content. Look out for foods that come with the healthier choice logo.
What is a crunchy thing to add to soup? ›
Crunchy. We've already discussed Fritos, but any tortilla chip will do, especially for bean soups or, well, tortilla soup. Crushed up potato chips on top of potato soup would be a potato inception, corn nuts could complement a corn chowder, or good ol' crackers (oyster, buttery Ritz, saltines) are a good standby.
For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.
How long does soup need to boil? ›
Bring it all to a boil, then simmer. You will know it's done when it's all tender, anywhere from 25 minutes to 3 hours depending on the ingredients. Meat is a luxurious addition to any soup. When you can, choose stewing cuts, such as chicken legs, pork shoulder, beef chuck, short ribs or shank.
Should you cover soup while cooking? ›
In the event that your goal is to keep moisture in—like when your pot of soup, stew, or sauce is already at the right consistency, but you want to keep cooking the vegetables and melding the flavors—leave the lid on to keep any more liquid from evaporating.
What can I add to soup to make it rich? ›
Savoriness can come from other ingredients besides salt. (Especially if you need to watch your sodium intake.) Adding umami-rich ingredients like tomato paste or a parmesan rind to the soup will add a deep, rich savoriness and body to the soup. (Here's what umami means.)
How do you make soup taste richer? ›
Use fresh vegetables, high-quality meats or broth, and fresh herbs to add depth of flavor. Add acidity: A squeeze of lemon or lime juice, a dash of vinegar, or a splash of wine can brighten the flavors of a soup and make it taste more complex.
What can I add to soup to make it better? ›
These garnishes impart a little extra flavor and make your soup look restaurant-worthy.
- Chopped herbs, such as chives, cilantro, dill or parsley.
- Dusting of spice, such as cumin, paprika or white pepper.
- Lemon, lime or orange zest.
- Shaved, crumbled or grated cheese, such as feta, Parmesan or Pecorino.
The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Make Cooking Soup
- Boiling instead of simmering. You want a small bubble or two to rise to the surface of the liquid every few seconds. ...
- Not using enough salt. ...
- Ignoring water. ...
- Overcooking the vegetables. ...
- Adding tomatoes at the beginning. ...
- Neglecting to garnish. ...
- Not trying a pressure cooker.
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.
Food Safety Mistakes & Rules
- The 5 Most Common Food Safety Mistakes & How to Avoid Them.
- Mistake #1: Cross-Contamination of Raw and Cooked Foods.
- Mistake #2: Not Cooking Food Thoroughly.
- Mistake #3: Leaving Food Out at Room Temperature.
- Mistake #4: Improper Handwashing Practices.
- Mistake #5: Failing to Wash Vegetables.
Heat from the stove warms the soup at the bottom of the pot, causing it to become less dense. The warmed soup rises to the top of the pot, and cooler soup sinks toward the bottom.
