You can’t beat a bowl of steaming hot soup on a chilly day, and it’s easy to make from scratch with little equipment. Whether chunky vegetable, hearty minestrone, or cream of chicken soup is your go-to, there are recipes out there for every classic flavour, plus endless variations. However, anyone who’s tried making soup at home will know that it often lacks depth, which comes so effortlessly in tinned goods.
A generous helping of cracked black pepper and salt may improve the taste of a portion of soup, but culinary experts say you shouldn’t rely on seasoning to add flavour. I contacted chefs across the UK to determine the one ingredient they always pair with this warming dish, and they all said the same thing. Connor Robson, head chef at modern Italian restaurant Bar Gigi, told Express.co.uk: “Time, care and attention. Plus, a homemade stock is the backbone of any good soup.”
Conor says speedy recipes won’t make a truly delicious soup. That said, you don’t need many ingredients to simmer a punchy base.
He explained: “You can get some good shop-bought stock, but I prefer to make my own. It’s a brilliant way to use up leftovers and vegetable scraps, and it means nothing goes to waste.”
According to Nick Vadasz, chef and author of The Pickle Jar, soup bases aren’t limited to classic root vegetables either.
While onions, celery and carrots are firm favourites for starting soup, Nick suggests incorporating fermented vegetables: “Sauerkraut and kimchi do the job for me”, he said.
“They work so well in giving depth of flavour and acidity and pack a much-needed punch, too, especially when you don’t have a good stock to hand.”
Nick acknowledges that there are plenty of good, fresh stock products available in supermarkets, which some soups just wouldn’t taste right without, be it “a bit of Maggi or Knorr”.
He said: “However, I’d rather make my own from a chicken carcass and some basic aromatics like onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves, etc. or the leftover brine from a pot of sauerkraut or kimchi.”
The list of chef-approved soup ingredients is long and varied, but it doesn’t include some seemingly popular fixes.
Chef Charlotte Pike, who authored The Soup Solution, notes that green veggies should be used with “extreme caution” as they can very quickly turn yellow and overcook.
The exception is fresh herbs, which Antonio Raspone, executive chef of SW16 Bar & Kitchen, suggests are the only thing he’ll be seen garnishing soup with — never the dried kind.
According to the chefs, flour should be sworn off as a means of thickening soup, and substituted for potatoes instead.
Antonio said that potatoes are the one thing that makes his soup recipes delicious: “They add heartiness and soak up all the flavours of the broth and vegetables”, he said.
The renowned London chef explained: “They can be cubed, sliced, or even lightly mashed into the soup. Either way, they give you a lovely creamy texture without needing cream, making the whole dish more comforting and satisfying.”
Getting most of the flavour from the stock is a foolproof way to ensure tasty soup, though Antonio notes that the best finishing touches are a drizzle of good-quality extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
He said: “The brightness lifts all the vegetables and herbs, balances the richness, and makes every spoonful taste alive. Whether it’s a minestrone or a lentil stew, that little finishing touch takes soup from good to unforgettable.”