Help me with my soup please

[DaanSaaf]

I'm making vegetable soup. I've boiled a shit ton of veg, added stock pots, herbs and seasoning and it's all nice and soft.

What do I do now? Last time I blitzed it and it ended up a weird puree with a layer of water on the top. I don't want to ruin it. Can there be too much liquid?

You might need something unctuous to bind it. Personally, unless it’s a butt ugly soup, I’d leave it unblitzed but if you blitz it, add any extra liquid needed just before serving?

Yes! If I add water before blending I often estimate wrong and end up with thin, unsatisfying soup. If you blend first, you can then slowly add extra liquid after blending (if needed). Stir as you go, and stop adding the water when it's the thickness you want.

Yes I’d scoop out a lot of the liquid before blending. You can add back in if you need it. I often add a tin (or more) of pulses which smooths things out and makes the soup more satisfying and substantial too.

Yes there can be too much liquid. IMHO the liquid needs to just cover the veg. Another one who likes adding pulses.

If you think it's too watery, add some soup pasta or a tin of haricot beans/lentils to give it a bit of body.

Two table spoons of cream cheese Philadelphia full fat works well when blending, binds the liquid and makes it creamy without being sickly.

I cheat sometimes if it's too thin with a bit of cornflour.
I like Asda broth mix with barley and lentils in it, makes all the difference to veg soup.

If I'm blending it all like mushroom soup it doesn't happen but when I split the soup to blend a bit I always end up runny with like a bubble scum to scoop off.

I would suggest lentils,although you could add some potatoes which could absorb water and thicken at the same time of you cook them long enough.

Good tips. So if I drain it (keeping the stock obviously) then blend the veg, adding stock as needed? I've only got dried lentils and no Philadelphia but I like the pasta idea. Could I put the stock in a separate pan and cook some pasta in it then add to the soup?

It's been in the slow cooker all day so I don't want to cook the vegetables anymore iykwim.

It doesn't look very soupy

I've an instapot (Baa) I Chuck in all the veg and pulses, cook that and keep some of the veg back to add for the last twenty mins.
I like a bit of crunch so thinly sliced raw onions go in at the end.

I chop everything in advance then sautee (a lot of) veg in heavy bottomed pan (stirring often) together with herbs and spices in a bit of olive oil or butter or both (usually onions, carrots or roasted squash, maybe celery, bit of fennel or turnip or whatever needs using up) for about 8 mins. Might give onions bit of a head start. Then add 1 litre stock (usually stock cube) then continue to cook with pan lid half on/half off so ingredients are cooked and liquid has dwindled to right consistency. Or start off with pan lid on for everything to cook and then take it off to reduce. Then take off heat and blend. Some soups benefit from a bit of potato or some cannellini/haricot beans (added at sauteeing stage) to thicken and emulsify. When you do it often enough, you get it to the right texture and consistency (without cooking veg to death) by instinct, good luck!

Yes you could do the pasta in the stock.

Oh sorry, ignore all of that, I know nothing about slow cookers!

If I'm freezing it I add as little liquid as possible, takes up less room than way and then add water/stock when reheating.

Staring I did all of the first part of your post then transferred it to the slow cooker. I'm going to blend some now and see what happens

Yes only just add enough liquid to cover veg/pulses.

Best not to add plain water after cooking ingreds together as it dilutes the flavour but you can always add more stock or mushroom ketchup or a little water in tomato tin or whatever if you have to. You can add a bit of white wine too to some soups but that is best done at beginning so alcohol is cooked off.

Sorry X posts again Daansaaf - I'm sure it will be delicious - just the weather for it

Turns out the ratio was pretty spot on (fluke!) and it's pretty tasty I must admit. Thank you vipers

Fluke?!

Nah, not fluke ...skill

Glad it worked out!

Yes halfwit, I'd had no idea how much water to use

It does look nice and thick.

I'm starving now. I'm going to have to make some, you've tempted me.

Haha thanks. My dm's idea of home cooking was always out of the freezer and into the oven so I've been blindly winging it for years