my soups always taste rubbish...any tips welcome...

[sannie]

my soups are always bland and a big dissapointment...

would welcome any tips to make them tasty...
particulary for veg/lentil soup

Do you use stock?

I always need to add salt. I rarely use it in any cooking but it really makes the difference in veg soups imo.

I use more stock and more salt and more herbs than recipes suggest. And I cook for longer.

It also makes a real difference if you sweat the vegetables slowly in a little bit of butter for as long as possible before making the soup.

i always use veg stock but don't usually add any extra salt as I find stock cubes really salty...I am experimenting at the moment with frozen herbs...maybe I also need to cook them for longer

Red lentil and tomato is nice. Couple of cans of tomatoes, some tomato puree, lentils and stock. Plus usual starter of saute some onions and garlic. And whatever veg you like. Cook for long time, just add extra water or stock when gets too thick.

no turnip. ever.

and a wee knorr stock cube.

Keep it simple, keep it light, use good quality bought stock, or even better your own, if you have it (i never do).

Examples - fry onions, carrots (celery, if you like it, I hate it), diced finely. Add tons of chopped tomatoes, 1 pint of good stock, bouquet garnet and handful of basil. bring to the boil and simmer for 45 mins, add pepper as required.

Serve immediately with crusty bread, if you have it, a swirl of yoghurt on top.

Add handful of small soup pasta for a bulkier meal about 15 mins before it finishes, or a handful of red split lentils at the beginning.

If you are not on a diet, add cream and blend.

I agree with salt in general, but I serve mine to DD so tend to add mine seperately.

You could add marmite stirred in at the end

Or pesto, good olive oil, grated cheese and fresh herbs always lift a soup I reckon

parnips are lovverly.
i use stock from boiled ham and a bit of boullion.
sweat veggies in butter first,
how about celery, that's lovely, and leek.

Simmer the soup gently, don't boil it to buggery (just in case this is happening!) DH is fond of making very-boiled-soup and the flavour just disappears.

No matter what, chuck in some cream at the end

herbs
passata
tabasco (just a splash if you don't like it hot)
Bouguet garni
a bay leaf
a splash of worcester sauce

haha...I think "boiling it to buggery" is the perfect description of what I am doing...

thanks for all the tips

Celery salt. Excellent stuff. And what everyone else said.

2 water glasses of lentils
1 onion
2 carrots
1 potato

peel and chop the veg, add to the lentils in the pan with water. Add 1 large tablespoon of tomato paste, add salt, thyme and a 2 chicken stock cubes. Leave on hob for around 15 minutes. Turn off and leave to cool slightly, then blend.

I add either:
Sage & onion stuffing (just a tablespoon or so)
Worcester sauce
Soy sauce
Lots of onions
Peppers
Cream
Garlic & Coriander

To a basic veggie base

Onions are crucial I think. All soups taste crap without them.

and celery adds a huge amount of flavour

Chop it small

Got to start with onion, carrot, celery as a base

Save your left-over bits of parmesan (the bits near the rind) - I freeze mine - & drop one into your soup as it simmers.

or just add plenty of salt and pepper to your own bowl