How To Make Soup Easily From Scratch

If you are looking to learn how to make soup from scratch, either with a soup maker or without. This guide will teach you just that, simple step by step instructions ideal for beginners and those comfortable within the kitchen as well.

Soup is one of the most versatile dishes you can make, whether you are looking for something to warm you up in the winter months or a nice starter during a dinner party with friends.

They can be incredibly simple to make, taste amazing and can be made with almost any type of vegetable.

Have you ever wanted to make soup and the first thing you did was go online and look for a recipe? I used to do the same…

Did you know that you don’t actually need to follow a recipe?

Its so simple, even an inexperienced cook can quickly learn how to make soup that tastes incredible.

I am going to share with you my 6 step, foolproof way of making soup without following a recipe.

How To Make Soup Easily The 6 Key Ingredients

Below are my 6 steps on making soup, simply follow each step and select the ingredients you want and you will have a tasty soup.

1. The Oil Or Fat

The first thing you need to decide on is the type of fat your soup is going to be made from. The most common choice is butter or olive oil, both are just as good as each other. If you were however making more of a cream soup, then I would recommend butter. We use this fat to initial saute the onion, as this helps to give your soup an additional depth of flavour.

2. Liquid/Stock

The liquid or stock is also known as the base, it is this that makes it more like soup. When it comes to the base, you want to pick one or two that compliment the type of soup you want to make. For example if you want a rich and creamy soup then you might use milk or even cream. The most common bases would be;

• Beef Stock
• Chicken Stock
• Vegetable Stock
• Fish Stock

• Double Cream
• Milk
• Tomato Puree

You could just use the one or combine different bases for extra flavour. Tomato Puree goes great with the different stocks for example as well as cream and milk.

3. Vegetables

We have already mentioned Onion, as this is generally the first vegetable added, as it packs so much flavour when sauteed.

You will often find many recipes will also recommend adding carrot or celery. As mentioned at the start of this guide on how to make soup, you don’t need to follow any recipes.

You can generally be pretty adventurous with what vegetables you add to your soup, although you should stick to those that do naturally compliment each other.

Most soups will have around 3 different vegetables, however you can certainly add more or less than this.

It’s worth noting that if you do use any root vegetables, you will want to saute these for longer as they do tend to be harder and need softening a little more.

Common vegetables include;

• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Celery
• Sweetcorn
• Butternut Squash
• Mushroom
• Onion
• Cauliflower

• Tomatoes
• Courgette
• Spinach
• Peas
• Bell Pepper
• Potatoes
• Sweet Potato

4. Meat

I don’t often have meat soups, however they do add another level of flavour. If you are going to add meat then you would want to combine this with a stock that matches.

For example if you are using chicken then you may want to use a chicken stock and not a beef or fish stock. Some meat you could use in the soup your make could include;

• Beef
• Chicken

• Fish
• Turkey

It’s important to note that you should cook the meat first before putting it into the soup.

5. Seasoning

One of the best things you can do to add extra flavour to your soup is to add seasoning.

You do want to taste the soup before adding any so you get an idea of the flavour and then every time you add some you want to taste it again.

The most important seasoning that should be in all soups is salt and pepper. You could then add additional seasonings such as;

• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Italian Seasoning
• Bay Leaves

• Parsley
• Coriander
• Basil

6. Garnish

The final step in making your own soup is garnish. Now garnish has two effects on your soup, the first is the additional flavours that it can add such as cheese and bacon on a nice potato soup.

The other is that it can make your soup look even more appealing, after all we do tend to eat with our eyes first.

The most common garnishes are;

• Cheese
• Bacon
• Spring Onion
• Croutons

• Olive Oil
• Herbs
• Cream
• Creme Fraiche

The Method On Making Soup

Now you know what ingredients you do need for your soup, its now time to make it. The great thing about soup is that no matter what ingredients you pick, the method is generally going to be the same.

1. The first step is to melt the chosen fat in a saucepan, once hot you want to add in your diced onions and garlic. Sweat this down until the onion is soft and translucent.
   
2. Chopped the vegetables into 1 cm cubes
   
3. Next add the chopped root vegetables and sauté these until the are soft
   
4. If you are having meat, you want to cook this in a separate pan. Once cooked, put to one side.
   
5. Season the vegetables with salt, pepper and any other seasoning you want to add. Now its a good time as it can help bring the flavours into the soup.
   
6. Add the stock or base liquid to the vegetables and cover with the lid. Allow to simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
   
7. After 30 minutes check that the vegetables are completely soft. Taste and add some additional seasoning if needed.
   
8. If you prefer smooth soup then now is the time to empty it out into a blender. If you prefer chunky soup then you can skill this step.
   
9. Add your garnishes to give it that additional flavour boost as well as improve the overall look of the soup
   
10. Serve with some nice warm bread and enjoy!