The Art of a Good Soup

The most forgiving thing you can cook

Soup is where good cooks start and where leftovers go to become wonderful. It's cheap, flexible and almost impossible to truly ruin. Once you understand the basic framework, you can make soup out of almost anything.

The framework behind (almost) every soup

1. Sweat aromatics. Gently cook onion, and often garlic, celery or carrot, in a little oil or butter until soft. This is the flavour base.
2. Add your main ingredients. Vegetables, pulses, or whatever you're building around.
3. Add liquid. Stock or water, enough to cover.
4. Simmer until everything is tender.
5. Season and finish. Salt, pepper, a squeeze of acid, maybe cream or herbs.

That's it. A Moroccan carrot soup and a creamy tomato soup follow exactly the same shape.

Blended or chunky?

• Blended soups feel smooth and elegant, great for vegetables like tomato, carrot or broccoli and stilton.
• Chunky and brothy soups feel hearty and rustic, perfect for noodles and bigger pieces, as in a Thai curry noodle soup or salmon noodle soup.

Build deeper flavour

• Don't rush the aromatics at the start; that's where flavour is born.
• Use good stock, or boost water with a stock cube, miso, or a parmesan rind.
• Finish brightly with lemon, vinegar or fresh herbs to lift everything, the trick behind a punchy tom yum soup.

Quick answers

Why does my soup taste bland? Usually under-seasoning or rushed aromatics. Add salt gradually and finish with a little acid.

Can I freeze soup? Most freeze beautifully, though cream-based ones are best added fresh when reheating.

Hungry for more? Browse all our soup recipes.