7 tips to reinvigorate your trusty soup recipe

With winter nearly at an end, for many the pleasure of a bowl of soup is wearing thin and soup fatigue is setting in. Have you eaten so many bowls of broth through the chilly season that you’re bored of your own trusty recipes? Never fear – KitchenAid is here to offer you 7 tips to liven up your soup recipes and get you loving the good stuff again.

1) Herbs

Adding fresh herbs such as parsley, mint, basil, oregano or toasted cumin will transform an ordinary soup to an extraordinary soup with little effort. Throw in sprigs of thyme or rosemary at the start of the cooking process and the leaves will fall off the stems, adding a wonderful flavour.

2) Garnish

Making a large pot of soup and eating it over a few days is an economical and effective use of time. Changing the garnish is a simple way to ensure that you don’t get sick of eating the same soup. Some of our favourite ways to garnish a soup include garlic toast crushed up and applied like croutons, a poached or fried egg, a dob of sour cream or ricotta, diced crispy bacon, caramelised onions or shallots and of course grated cheese.

3) Seeds and Nuts

Roasted sesame seeds or pumpkins seeds add a great texture and nice nutty flavour to soups. Actual nuts are a great addition to butternut soups and almonds that have been sliced or slivered make a delicious garnish.

4) Spice

Sometimes all a soup needs is a little bit of salt and pepper to bring out the flavours of the other ingredients. Paprika, cayenne pepper, turmeric and even cinnamon are a tasty addition to most soups. Adding just a teaspoon of Tabasco can completely lift a soup. If you’re not a fan of spicy soups just add small amounts of each spice and taste until you find a level that suits your palate.

5) Cheese rinds

Add otherwise useless cheese rinds to your soup during the cooking process. This will add a creamy consistency and deepen the flavour. For example, a parmesan rind adds a delicious nuttiness to your soup. Don’t be afraid to experiment, there is a soup for every type of cheese. If you are afraid of going overboard with the cheesy flavour and you have more than the rind left just grate over the soup when serving.

6) Grains

To make your soup more substantial add grains such as rice, pasta or barley. Experiment with the textures of the grains until you find the perfect flavour for your recipe. Adding grains is a simple way to take your soup from an entrée to a main.

7) V8 Juice

This might sound odd but trust us this is key to making a tasty minestrone soup! Add V8 Juice in place of your canned or fresh tomatoes. The addition of the carrot, spinach, celery and beetroots that make up the V8 Juice makes for a nutritious soup full of depth.

Our favourite soup recipes

• Double Pea Soup
• Mushroom Soup
• Roasted Red Pepper and Pumpkin Soup with Zingy Salsa
• Thai Style Chicken and Coconut Soup
• Roasted Tomato and Bread Soup
• Potato and Leek Soup
• Smoked Cod Chowder