More Soup Tips

Here are even more soup tips that'll make your soup experience all the better. If you missed the first part of this article, just go back and read about Soup Tips here.

• As you may well know, homemade stock tastes the best. Yes, it takes some extra time to prepare, but it's well worth the extra effort. Any stock you have leftover can easily be frozen and then thawed for your future soups.
  
• Okay, yes, the best tasting soups always are made with a homemade stock and fresh ingredients. But, if you are running short on time, then use canned or frozen broths or bouillon bases. Spice them up and use your imagination. It'll still taste good.
  
• If you are serving several courses for a dinner, a great way to cleanse and recondition the palate is to serve a hot soup as one of the courses. It also does the same great job after drinking alcoholic beverages. Did you know that a hot soup will help recondition the palate between meal courses or after consuming alcholic beverages? I love these soup tips! At your next party, serve something like Zippy Tomato Soup before your guests start in on the food!
  
• In a hurry? Here are more soup tips on how to cut some of the prep time: Simple - just used frozen vegetables like corn, spinach and peas and add them to your soup base. Another way is to pureée the frozen veggies and mix with a cream or broth base to make a heartier, thicker soup. Adding sautéed onion always adds delicious flavor to any soup. Sauté the onions ahead of time and store them until you are ready to use them.
  
• When serving cold soups, like Gazpacho or Cold Cucumber Soup, make sure you serve it in previously chilled plates.
  
• How much soup should you make if you are using it as an appetizer? The general rule of thumb is to count on making one quart of soup for every six people. If you plan on making soup as the main dish, then one quart will serve 2 people.
  
• What about high altitude living and soup? If you live in higher than 2500 feet, you might have to extend the cooking time. This is because liquids boil at a lower temperature.
  
• Another time saving tip that doubles as a tip for better flavor: Soups, stews and broths always taste better when you make them a day or two in advance. Just reheated the soup right before serving.
  
• For cold soups, make sure you check the seasoned taste just before serving. Why? Because food that has been chilled tends to dull the taste buds and may need more seasoning than if you were serving a hot soup.
  
• Here's a great soup tip: Try not to wait too long to add your spices and herbs when making your soup. If you do, the flavor will be much more intense, and potentially overpowering.
  
• To add more flavor to your soup, add in white wine or beer. If you do this, reduce the amount of salt you would normally use. This is because wine added to soups tend to intensify the saltiness. Here's the ratio for adding wine. 1/4 cup to 1 quart of soup base.
  
• If using beer in your soup or stew, the ratio should be 1 cup of beer to 3 cups of soup.