Making Soup
Some soups are designed for quick assembly and serving. Others demand to be
simmered slowly. Soup simmered over low heat for a period of several hours
develops a full, rich flavor. You can cook soup not only on the stovetop, but
also in a slow cooker. Try these tips for making great soup:
- Be sure to use the pot size called for in the recipe so that soup
heats properly without having an annoying boilover.
- Slowly heat soups made with dairy products. If soups containing milk,
cream, eggs or cheese come to a boil, ingredients may separate and
curdle.
- If you need a quick soup base, try Progresso® Vegetable Classics
soups. And for south-of-the border flavor, Old El Paso® refrigerated taco
sauce and Old El Paso® chopped green chiles make perfect additions to soup
recipes.
- Keep lumps from forming when thickening soup with flour and
water. Here’s how: in a separate bowl, thoroughly beat flour into a small
amount of cold water using a wire whisk. Whisk into the hot soup
mixture.
- Want to thicken your soup without using a roux (fat and flour
mixture) Stir dry mashed potatoes into the soup mixture. Or use a blender or
food processor to puree some cooked vegetables in the soup with a little broth;
stir back into the soup.
- To remove fat from the soup, refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours or
overnight. Fat will rise to the surface and solidify. Skim fat with a spoon and
discard.
Refrigerating & Reheating Soup
Soup is ideal for making ahead of time. Store soup in shallow containers for
rapid cooling.
- Cover and refrigerate soups for up to 3 days.
- Soups made with fish or shellfish should be refrigerated no longer
than 1 day.
- Heat broth-based soups over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until
hot; or reheat in the microwave.
- Reheat thick purees or soups containing milk, cream, eggs or cheese over
low heat, stirring frequently. Boiling may cause ingredients to separate.
- Thaw soups in the refrigerator and use promptly.
- Thick soups tend to become thicker during storage. Add a little broth,
milk or half-and-half while reheating until the soup reaches the desired
consistency
Freezing Soup
Soup freezes well, so you may want to double a soup recipe and freeze half of
it. Freezing can affect the flavor and texture of some soups, so follow these
guidelines to preserve flavor:
- Soups and broths can be kept frozen for 2 to 3 months.
- Allow 1/4- to 1/2-inch headspace for soup expansion in freezer
containers as it freezes.
- Freeze broth in heavy plastic freezer containers, resealable freezer
plastic bags or in ice-cube trays. Broth “cubes" can be transferred later to
a heavy plastic freezer bag
