5 ways to maximise the flavour of vegetable soups

Elevate your meal with layers of flavours and texture.

Winter was pretty much a non event in Istanbul this year. We had only a few days of cold and rainy weather, and this week’s been more like spring than winter.

The same can’t be said for the country where I was born and raised. November and December were the coldest in years in Norway, and over the past week hurricanes have ravaged much of the northern part of the country. My parents’ summer house was in the midst of it, but fortunately made it through with damage only to the greenhouses and terrace wind shields.

I’m not sure what it’s like where you are, but much of the northern hemisphere is still very much in soup season. So I thought this was a good time to share a few tips for building flavourful and filling vegetarian soups.

In short, it boils down to a good stock, a flavour base, carefully selected vegetables, something filling and something fresh.

🍲 The stock

While water or milk is just fine for some soups (hello lentil soup), a good broth is usually essential for most vegetable based soups.

I like using chicken stock, home made or shop bought – but always the real thing. A vegetable broth is a great option, too. I stay clear of stock cubes and other concentrates. These are often riddled with additives, have questionable nutritional value and, most importantly for our purposes, tend to dominate the flavour to the point where everything tastes the same, whatever other ingredients you put in your soup.

Keep it real, and keep it simple.

🧅 Building the flavour base

A good stock will give you a head start, but you’ll still need to build more flavours. Onions, mirepoix or soffrito are always a good start, but for truly moreish soups, make sure to add an umami rich ingredient or two.

One of the building blocks of Turkish cuisines will help you: Tomato paste, preferably in combination with red pepper paste (sweet or spicy). We’re not looking to make tomato soup, or add fresh tomato flavour, but to add an umami richness into our broth. Consider them the Turkish version of soy sauce and mushroom, another great option for adding umami where there’s no meat. You’ll need only a little, lest you’ll move towards tomato soup land.

🥕 The vegetables

Soups are a great way of using up those veggies lingering at the back of the vegetable drawer, but I urge you to still put some thought into the selection and preparation of your vegetables.

It’s usually best to focus on two or three vegetables. More than that, and the flavours tend to cancel each other out and make for a bland soup.

If possible, I like using vegetables that give a variety of colours, flavours and textures to make the soup just a little more exciting.

I often roast the vegetables rather than boil them in the liquid. This adds texture, intensifies flavours and makes the soup feel more like «real food». The bite it provides (and the extra oil needed) are also helpful in getting your brain to understand your body is getting food, so you’ll feel fuller and more satisfied than when eating a puréed or soft vegetable soup. 

A tray of chopped and roasted vegetables are an excellent addition to soups.

🌾 Something filling

Not all soups need to be filling. But all too often, I see people eating vegetable soups for dinner, with no protein, complex carb or even fat in sight. Me, I’d be hungry again after 10 minutes.

Beyond the obvious role of filling you up, grains, legumes, meat and fats also add further layers of texture and flavour to your soup.

For vegetable soups, I like using grains or legumes rather than flour based carbs (like pasta). For grains, freekeh, bulgur, spelt and barley are all excellent options. Freekeh is particularly good in vegetarian soups, adding a smokey depth of flavour and a chewy texture. For legumes, white beans, red beans, chickpeas and lentils work particularly well. And if you’re not going vegetarian, a handful of shredded chicken or turkey meat finds a natural home in virtually any vegetable based soup.

Freekeh, a smoked green wheat that’s popular throughout the Levent, is excellent in vegetable soups.

Don’t forget the fat, either. It may have been considered the enemy of health for many years, but fortunately, we now know better. Vegetable based soups are virtually fat free, so don’t skimp on the oil or butter. Many don’t realise, but this does wonders for the flavour and helps keep you full for longer, too, so you don’t need to reach for that snack later on.

I mostly use generous amounts of a mild extra virgin olive oil (never “regular” olive oil – more on that in a future newsletter), but never shy away from a tablespoon or two of butter if I feel like it, either.

🌿 Something fresh

With a good broth, an umami booster, a good mix of vegetables and something filling, all that’s left is to dot the i with something fresh.

This can be as simple as a squeeze of lemon or a sprinkling of fresh herbs. It can be adding spinach or kale in the last couple of minutes of cooking. The point is to add a contrasting element to the otherwise hot and hearty soup.

😍 What’s your favourite trick for making tasty vegetable soup?

Those are my building blocks for making comforting and filling vegetable soups. They’re by no means the only ways of achieving superior flavour, however.

Do you have a favourite trick for boosting flavour of vegetable based soups? If so, I’d love it if you’d share your tips in the comments!

🔜 Coming Sunday for paying subscribers:

Root vegetable soup with a Middle Eastern touch

This recipe makes full use of the all the tricks above. It’s flavourful, fresh and filling all at the same time. Perfect for a warming lunch – or even a light dinner if you add a handful of chickpeas or shredded chicken. This recipe will be for paying subscribers.

The next free newsletter will hit your inbox in a week’s time, and will be this month’s free for all new recipe.

Until then ☀️

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