Soup Savvy

Whether you’re a confident cook who’s ready to riff on ribollita or a kitchen newbie, a little expert advice is always helpful. Here are 10 need-to-know tips and techniques from our soup gurus. Read ’em and cook.

Simmer Instead of Boil Low and slow cooking—a gentle simmer instead of a rapid boil—is a golden rule for making soup. Boiling causes your veggies to break apart and can turn meat into tough, hard-to-chew pieces.

Enrich Store-Bought Broth Give store-bought broth more savory flavor by simmering it with extra meat (such as for chicken soup), bones or aromatics, such as herbs, spices or fresh ginger or garlic, for at least 20 minutes. Strain the broth, then use it for your soup.

Taste & Adjust If your soup needs a flavor bump, first try adding an acid—a squeeze of lemon juice or a dash of ­vinegar—to brighten the flavor. Still not right? Try adding salt—a tiny bit at a time, which will also enhance the way things taste. Miso, soy sauce, fish sauce, anchovy paste or Worcestershire also get the job done while adding a hit of umami.

Stir in a Parmesan Rind When you’re no longer able to grate cheese off a hunk of Parmesan, hang onto the rind to pop it into your next pot of soup. You’ll get another layer of nutty flavor that takes your soup from meh to magnifico.

COOK Pasta & Grains perfectly Even after the stove is off, heat from the soup continues to soften ingredients. If you’re planning leftovers, you can keep pasta and grains from turning to mush by cooking them in soup for a touch less than the package directions. Or cook them separately and stir into the soup just before serving for the perfect texture.

Employ the Whole Vegetable Stems and tops from veggies like broccoli, chard and leeks become tender when cooked and you’ll get all those extra nutrients and fiber while reducing food waste. See this tip in action in the recipe for Green Curry Soup.

Thicken With Stale Bread, Beans or Mashed Potatoes When stirred into soup, stale bread, mashed beans and mashed potatoes cook down to create a creamy, rich texture, all without adding cream. It’s also a great way to use up leftovers.

Rinse Canned Beans Here’s an instant way to make canned beans healthier before adding them to soup: rinse them. Giving beans a cold shower reduces sodium by a third.

Use the Soaking Liquid Dried chiles and mushrooms have concentrated flavor that ends up in the rehydrating liquid. Strain this flavorful soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth and use it in soup for an extra hit of flavor, as we do Wild Mushroom Soup.

Add Soft Herbs at the End Fresh soft herbs, such as basil, parsley and cilantro, lose their flavor when cooked too long. To preserve their essence, add them just before serving. Hardier herbs, like sage and rosemary, can cook longer and be added earlier.