Soup Tips - Making Good Soup

By sarah (Guest Post)

Adding a can or two of spinach to a veggie soup really helps thicken it and gives a good healthy flavor.

By

shebaro

Making any kind of soup, in order to thicken, take some of the vegetables with a little bit of liquid, put into a blender then pour it back into the soup. It keeps the calories down.

By

LizCar

Save the juice from drained hamburger meat. (I use ground chuck because it has a lot less fat than regular, and I get more juice.) Put it in a container in the freezer (skim off fat first), then each time you brown ground beef, pour the juice in the same container. If you use a lot of ground beef, it won't be long until you have enough to add flavor and nutrition to your soup. Also, you can boil chicken wing tips that no one eats for more chicken broth. Great in soups! A teaspoon or cube of chicken bouillon adds a lot of flavor, too.

By

ThriftyFun

Don't overlook those cheap, though perhaps unfamiliar meats in your butchers case. Pork neck bones are terrific with bean soup, and fresh ham hocks, <not smoked> are excellent with Rice or Ramen noodles. Skim after bringing to a boil, and if you refrigerate for 4 hrs after cooking you can remove additional fats that float to the top without losing the flavor.

c.j.cox

By box of bees (Guest Post)

allmost any soup can be brought up a notch by adding 1 tsp of sour cream

By CarolinaGirl (Guest Post)

I was taught this simple trick from my mother-in-law. Browns a couple lbs hamburger meat, drain the grease, add leftover vegies, and/or canned ones, and pour a can of V-8 over that, presto, soup! Of course it does smell so good throughout the house if you cook it slow for several hours as in a crock pot.

By

ThriftyFun

I save and freeze onion skins and celery tops for use when I make soup.

By Sylvia Belle

If you want a lovely different flavor for your vegetable soup take 2Tbl. of whole allspice wrap in foil or cheesecloth and tie the top. If you use foil make sure you poke holes in it with a fork so the broth can seep through and just leave it in there while your soup simmers. Yum Yum. Delicious! I learned this from a old Welsh woman.

By (Guest Post)

Roast your bones till dark brown before you start your soup. It'll be richer and tastier. Reduce your
stock if you have the time and then freeze it for future soups.
Annie

By

ThriftyFun

Take a hint from the big soup companies. To make a soup look like it has more meat in it, chop the meat into small bites instead of big chunks.

By Lynn

By Susan. (Guest Post)

Whenever I roast meat I save the drippings in the bottom of the pan (deglaze with water) and freeze. When I make soup I add this for lots of flavor. I don't make gravy, usually, since it bothers my husbands ulcers, and this is a good way to not waste all that flavor.

By

sparknut

Everytime you make a vegetable with your meal that you don't eat all, just place the leftovers into a baggy and freeze. When you want to make soup put all of you veggies into a pot and cook to your liking!!!
Add meat and enjoy!!

By

Jo Bodey

All vegetable soups have to have lots of carrots and onions for me - sweet and lovely! I thicken with split yellow peas or red lentils - they don't need pre soaking if simmered in the soup for at least an hour. They also add the protein component so a vegetable soup can be tasty and nourishing without meat.

Regards

Jo

By

ThriftyFun

Soups often taste more filling if they are slightly thickened. Instant or leftover potatoes can be used to thicken soup, or mash a few beans and add back in.

By Lynn

By

ThriftyFun

Most soups taste better with the addition of a variety of vegetables and grains, a good way to use up small quantities. One exception is cabbage, which gives most soups too strong a flavor for us, but might suit others.

By Lynn