All About Soup Making

By Alison Heath


Usually made from meat of some sort is stock and it is also the basis of most soups. Forming the basis of many soups are lean, juicy beef, chicken, mutton, and veal and you can buy fresh, lean meat and remove any skin or extra fat before making your stock.

When it comes to composing good, rich soup, proportioning the ingredients so that the flavor of one does not dominate the others is the principal art. What soup making is all about is combining ingredients so that they make a delicious whole.

One thing you need to be sure of is that the quantity of meat and other ingredients is proportionate to the amount of water that you use for the stock. To a pound meat for soups, a quart of water may generally be allowed and half the quantity can be used for gravies. Without a doubt, the best method in making soups or gravies would be gentle stewing or simmering. Soup should not be cooked in a pot with a closed lid, as much of the taste is a result of the liquid being absorbed and reduced.

Soups in general are much better prepared the day before they are to be eaten and they also take between three to six hours to make. Also, this will be useful should you want any fat that will congeal at the top of the cold soup to be removed. You can drain off and re-heat the soup when you need it.

With most meat-based soups, you will make the stock first. This is a combination of meat, herbs and spices, and water. Probably the lengthiest part of the process is making the stock as it is advisable to simmer the stock gently instead of just boiling it to preserve the goodness and the taste. Some soups will have meat in them, but vegetable soups will require you to remove the meat from the stock and add the other ingredients to a clear broth.

Barley, rice, beans, peas, vermicelli, macaroni, mushroom, parsnips, carrots, beetroot, turnips, garlic, shallots and onions are the most common vegetable and herb ingredients in making soup. Leeks and celery are often used as well. Common used herbs include parsley, cress-seed, common thyme, lemon thyme, orange thyme, knotted marjoram, sage, mint, winter savoury, and basil.

Bay-leaves, tomato, tarragon, chervil, burnet, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, mace, black and white pepper, lemon-peel, and juice, and Seville orange-juice are ingredients that are commonly added when you are seasoning soups. Wine and other ready-made sauces can be added to soup to add flavour and texture.

Soup can be light and airy, used as a starter or entre, or it can make a hearty meal on its own. If pasta is added then soup can be a filling meal served at any time and is also usually served with bread or croutons.




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