So yesterday I made sweetcorn soup with a sprinkle of chicken, and it’s bland what can I add to make it taste better ?

[Kittenswhiskers]

It had celery sticks, onion garlic carrots
sweetcorn
stock cubes

then only a bit of chciken as I thought if I roasted a very big chicken the day before
I’d have plenty to add to the soup
But everyone just ate more chicken, so only a small amount of chicken went into the soup

Also I did add pepper

I swear by a couple of dashes of Vietnamese dipping sauce to zing up anything. Nem Viet brand I use from ocado. Brilliant on cooked broccoli and greens too.

For an Asian style broth try adding....
Worcestershire sauce or mushroom ketchup, or five spice powder to add depth of flavour.
Sweet chilli dipping sauce or Tabasco, or chilli powder or cayenne pepper (just a sprinkle! ) for some heat.
Spring onions or finely sliced shallots, or finely chopped tarragon for added interest.

Bone broth and gelatine are extremely healthy, hence chicken soup (from bone broth) as a remedy for illness. It tastes delicious too.

For more a savoury or umami flavour miso paste add to the stock, dried mushrooms blended to powder, add 1 tspn when you fry off the veg. Soy sauce and spring onions added at the end will help too.

A slug of fish sauce

Chilli flakes will help…..or crispy bacon.

Salt and MSG.

Sounds comforting, yum. But anything with that much sweet in I'd want a bit of spice, chilli and maybe some lime to cut through the sweet.

Always - that's what makes it chicken soup! Carcass, some root veg, bunch of fresh herbs, simmer. Strain, add whatever veg/barley/pulses and bits of meat and cook it out.

Chuck in some frozen prawns and a glug of mushroom ketchup.

I wouldn't add another stock cube, as it can make it too salty. You can always add salt at the table, but you can't take it away.

A big squeeze of lemon/lime juice will add some piquancy.

Thanks for the suggestions next time I'll, boil the Carcas then, I'll start with adding soy. As I did try balsamic vinegar and that just was weird
My mushroom soup is amazing but I need some variations

I always add Chinese five spice, rice wine vinegar and soy sauce.

Chilli and lemongrass

OMG yes. ALWAYS make proper stock for soup. Low (very low) simmer with all the bones for about 2 hours (more for beef bones, less for fish bones).

I also then reduce the stock once the bones are out for more flavour. Soup made with proper stock is incomparable with stock cubes (which are just salt).

You animal! No! 😮

Banana 🍌

Worcestershire sauce

Add vinegar and black pepper