We eat so much of it that soup should really be its own food group. And, if we're talking soups we love, we've got to mention puréed soups. They're the culinary equivalent of warm hugs, your coziest sweatpants, and the Friends marathon on television. But even our favorite foods can turn on us sometimes: If you've ever attempted a creamy soup that was more lumpy and bumpy than smooth and dreamy, it's time to brush up on your creamy-soup knowledge. Are you making any of these common mistakes?
1. Under- or Overcooking the Vegetables
"The majority of issues with a creamy soup come from undercooking the vegetables," explains Rick Martinez, associate food editor at BA. They should be uniformly soft, with no resistance or "bite"—otherwise, they will not stand up to the blender. You'll be left with a soup that's watery in portions and lumpy in others.
That said, it's definitely possibly to cook your vegetables too much; more is not better in this scenario. Overcooked vegetables will be charred, tough and chewy (read: not bendable!), and can even lose some of their inherent sweetness. To avoid under- or overcooking the vegetables, cut them in uniform sizes, and test multiple pieces for doneness, whether you roast them in an oven or sweat them with fat in the bottom of the soup pot before adding liquid.
2. Being Too Timid With Seasoning
You'll definitely want to season the veggies with salt, pepper, and the spices of your choice when sweating or roasting them. "This is your chance to concentrate and enhance the flavors," Martinez says. In fact, he advises erring on the side of over-seasoning. This is because, once you add the liquid, you'll be drastically diluting the flavors of the vegetables. As a general rule, Martinez suggests using double the amount of seasoning you would for regular sautéed or roasted veggies. So, if you normally add one teaspoon of curry powder for roasted butternut squash, add two for a soup. This is especially important with salt, because although stock adds flavor, it doesn't (or at least shouldn't) add much salt.
Roasted Tomato Soup. Photo: Alex Lau
3. Adding the Wrong Liquid
Stock is always better than water, right? Well, usually. Although it's typically preferable to always add flavor where you can (water has no flavor!), there are a few guidelines for using stock with soup. Martinez chooses stock for most soups, with two exceptions: If the soup is already bursting with bossy, bold flavors—like vadouvan spice blend or curry—he'll use water with just a splash of stock. The second occasion he'll turn on the tap is when the choice is between water or boxed vegetable stock. "I would rather jump out the window than use boxed stock," he says. While we won't give you such an ultimatum, we do agree that homemade veggie stock is definitely leaps and bounds better than the pre-made stuff.
Still not sure when to use stock or water? Martinez advises we think of stock like we think of vanilla extract in baking. "In most cases, you're not making a dessert that's vanilla-flavored, but a small amount can really enhance the finished product," he explains. If you're worried about your creamy carrot soup tasting too much like chicken noodle, just add a cup or two of chicken stock for dimension and depth of flavor.
4. Using the Wrong Appliance
A high-powered, efficient blender is your best bet for the creamiest, dreamiest soup around. Don't have a blender, or just don't want to dirty the extra dishes? An immersion blender will do a fine job of puréeing your soup. You may want to skip the food processor, however. They're great for making chunky sauces, like pestos, but can't handle much liquid, and won't blend the vegetables as smoothly as a blender.
