When Is The Right Time To Add Aromatics To Vegetable Soup?
Soup on a cold day is both nourishing and soul-warming. One of the greatest qualities of this dish is the variety it provides. From bisques to creamy soups to chowders to simple homemade broth soups, it's easy to find a recipe that will keep everyone slurping it up. While Restaurant Clicks notes chicken noodle soup is a favorite among soup eaters, hearty minestrone and delicious fall vegetable soups aren't too far behind. But what makes a good vegetable soup?
According to MasterClass, vegetable soup is one of the easiest soups to make because you don't have to get everything perfect and it can still taste amazing. The cooking site notes that the ease of vegetable soup stems from the fact you can use whatever fresh or frozen vegetables suit your taste buds or that you have in your fridge. The broth isn't complicated either. Choose a nice store-bought or homemade chicken or vegetable broth and you are in business. But to really make this dish your own, it comes down to the herbs and aromatics you use. Aromatics are important when cooking many foods, but when is the right time to add those aromatics to vegetable soup?
They serve as the base
BBC GoodFood says there are several steps you want to follow to get any soup just right. The first starts with the base of aromatics which consists of a mirepoix of chopped carrots, onions, and celery softening in a nice pat of butter over low heat. The key here is patience and not rushing it. Give yourself a good 20 minutes for this step. MasterClass concurs and notes this will be the foundation of your soup. You can also add your garlic into this mix to really enhance the fragrance and taste of your vegetable soup.
Additionally, Taste of Home shares when you are making vegetable soup, you want to add those spices and dry herbs earlier on so they have time to permeate the broth and bring all the flavors together. And don't be afraid to add salt early on can because it can bring out the tastes of individual veggies. Additionally, Taste of Home recommends browning your vegetables for your vegetable soup before tossing them into the broth. The site notes this will give your vegetable soup an added sweetness it will not have otherwise.