[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #00adef;”] L[/dropcap]et’s talk soup without stock!
In the past I felt I had to use stock to get a really delicious full flavoured soup.
Often I didn’t have any stock in the freezer or the pantry.
So I made a conscious effort to experiment with soups that don’t require stock as a flavour base.
And you know what?
It’s totally possible to make amazing soups without stock.
Here’s how you do it…
Table of Contents
7 Tips for Full Flavoured Soups Without Stock
1. Use aromatic vegetables
One of the secrets to great stock is being generous with the aromatic vegetables – onion, carrots & celery.
So rather than add stock, I like to add at least one of these directly to the soup. Big flavour and no waste. Win win!
2. Season with soy sauce
Soy sauce is rich in lovely umami-type savoury flavours. Even a tablespoon can turn a simple soup into something totally moreish.
3. Use a full flavoured accompaniment.
Things like pesto or harissa give a real flavour hit to soup, not to mention adding some textural variation.
4. Don’t overdo the water
When you’re making soup without stock, it’s really important that you don’t add too much water or other liquid.
Read more Easy Gluten Free Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe
You can always thin out a too-thick soup, but rescuing a watery soup can take hours of simmering.
5. Season seriously
Seasoning properly is critical for optimum flavour in all cooking but especially so in soup.
Stocks tend to be quite salty naturally, so soup made on a stock base tends not to need as much salt & pepper.
When switching to stock-free soup, it can be easy to under-season so be ultra careful to taste and add more salt if needed.
6. Use a little acid
A little lemon juice or a splash of vinegar can turn a dull soup into a vibrant star.
7. Spice it up
Some chilli can do wonders to compliment the warming nature of soup.
A little cumin or coriander or even curry powder can give an old favourite soup a new lease of life.
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Broccoli & Parmesan Soup
It’s hard not to love broccoli. All its greenness just screams good for you. And in soup form, it feels even more nurturing.
This would also work well with frozen broccoli. For a vegan version, skip the cheese and serve with a sprinkling of lightly toasted pinenuts or almonds.
If you don’t have a stick blender, feel free to serve as a chunky soup. Or use a regular blender of food processor – just be very careful when pureeing the hot soup.
1. Bring 2 cups water to boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Add broccoli, Parmesan rind, if using and soy sauce.
3. Cover and simmer rapidly for 8-10 minutes or until broccoli is tender.
4. Puree in the saucepan with a stick blender until smooth.
5. Taste and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Serve with extra parmesan sprinkled over the top.
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Video version of the recipe
More Simple Soup Recipes
- Mushroom Soup with Brown Butter Walnuts & Crispy Sage
- Chunky Cauli & Sausage Soup
- Spinach Soup with Smashed Feta & Walnuts
- 6 Simple 5-Ingredient Soups
- Spicy Roast Eggplant & Harissa Soup
- Yuuummy Spiced Tomato Soup
- No-Cry Roast Onion Soup
Have fun in the kitchen!
With love
Jules x
Tags: broccoli, delicious, dinner, parmesan, soup. simple, soy sauce
Source: https://thestonesoup.com/blog/2011/01/17/introducing-soupstones-7-tips-for-full-flavoured-soups-without-using-stock-5-ingredients-10-minutes/
