Use Vegetable Stock To Thin Out Soups Without Losing Flavor

Slurped slowly or guzzled at speed, a hearty bowl of hot soup is a rejuvenating post-work elixir. But once it's cooled down in the fridge it can thicken and lose its inviting consistency. The solution is to use vegetable stock, instead of water, to thin out your next batch and slacken its texture without sacrificing flavor.

A splash of H2O stretches out a soup and can quickly loosen a Chicken Mulligatawny that has an overly-viscous consistency, without the need to add in an extra serving of coconut milk. It also provides a simple way to reduce the sodium levels in an accidentally over-salted Minestrone or subdue the overpowering heat of a spicy bisque. However, while perfect for thinning out a soup, a dash of water will also dampen down its taste by diluting its flavors. 

Unlike water, vegetable stock won't temper the overall flavor of your soup, because it's packed full of enriching flavors of its own from root vegetables, like carrots and celery, as well as warming spices, such as bay leaves and peppercorns. These key ingredients imbue heaps of complexity into a vegetable stock that's invaluable for making the most basic of soups taste satisfying and filling. What's more, thinning out your soup with a touch of vegetable stock will also give it more body and a satisfying mouth feel, lend it an appetizing sheen, and enhance its color.

Soups enriched with heavy cream are deliciously satisfying, however, they can feel heavy when consumed in large amounts. Using vegetable stock to thin out these velvety soups is an awesome way to maximize their flavor without adding unwanted heft to the consistency of rich chowders made with a dairy base. The same rule goes for soups like Cheesy Cauliflower Cheddar Soup, which get their comfortingly creamy texture from a generous helping of cheese. A dash of vegetable stock thins down the creamy consistency of these soups and cuts through the fattiness of cheddar, Colby, and Monterey Jack.

Finally, vegetable stock lends meat-free soups a delicious umami flavor, making them taste earthier and feel more sating once consumed. A simmered stock that combines foods that are naturally rich in umami, such as spinach, mushrooms, and carrots, will instantly lend your soup a deeper savory note. These vegetables also have an appealing aroma, as well as heaps of nutritional benefits. For example, a cruciferous vegetable, such as cabbage, is high in gut-friendly fiber, Vitamin C, and antioxidants. So, the next time you head to the faucet to thin down your batch of soup, try opening a carton of vegetable stock instead to create a scrumptiously high-flavored soup that's the perfect slurpable consistency.