11 Ingredients That Don't Work Well In Soup

There's a common belief that you can throw any random fridge or pantry-find into a pot and make a successful soup recipe. While soup may be more forgiving than dishes with more constrained requirements, it's not entirely foolproof. There are a number of ingredients that can negatively affect the taste, texture, or overall composition of your soup. Considering it's often consumed as a hearty and comforting dish, it's worth getting it just right.

Thankfully, if you leave a handful of ingredients out of the pot and keep a few pointers in mind when selecting what to include, your chances of culinary success are high. We spoke to some experts to get additional tips on making the perfect soup: chef Nic Vanderbeeken from Apéritif restaurant in Ubud, Bali; Jessica Randhawa, the content creator and recipe developer behind The Forked Spoon; and Lisa Richards, certified nutrition coach and founder of The Candida Diet. As well, we combined their advice with our own cooking experience to come up with a list of ingredients that don't work well in soup. Read on for the lowdown on what to avoid so that your next bowl of soup is a well-balanced treat.

Okra is certainly a unique vegetable, and it tends to inspire either love or hate. While gumbo lovers will argue that okra belongs in soup and stew-like concoctions, beyond this example it really should stay out of the picture. The vegetable contains pods that release sugar as it cooks, producing a slimy material. This texture is used to thicken gumbo, but most soups would benefit more from a viscous ingredient like cream or coconut milk for the same purpose.

There are ways to reduce the inherent sliminess of okra, such as by soaking slices in vinegar prior to cooking them. Additionally, you could precook okra slices at high heat, which reduces the goopiness, and sprinkle them on top as garnish. However, if you're just looking to chop your veggies, saute them together, and simmer them in broth while you prepare other components of your meal, okra requires a bit too much effort for successful results.

Canned food can be an absolute timesaver in many instances, but relying on canned veggies to bulk up your soup can lead to extremely bland results. For starters, you won't be able to infuse the veggies with as much flavor, since they come pre-cooked in the can. Instead of seasoning them while they saute in a pan, you'll be adding them to broth or water without much chance to boost the taste.

Another negative point for canned veggies is that since they're pre-cooked and often stored in brine, they're typically already quite soft from the get-go. Unless you're just adding them in with the other soup ingredients at the end, the vegetables are likely to become mushy. While this isn't a huge deal if you're blending everything, it's not going to do you any favors if you're serving the soup with chunky components. One notable exception is canned tomato, which is a staple in many soups. The soft consistency takes well to stewing and simmering at low temperatures, creating a delicious result that pairs well with diced vegetables and grains.

You're often given the option of salad or soup at restaurants, and it's really better if you keep the two separate. Adding lettuce or delicate greens to your soup is just asking for trouble. Whereas some leafy greens can benefit from being wilted (spinach and chard, for example), others are best served fresh. Romaine, iceberg, butter lettuce, and arugula are just some of the many delicate greens that should stay away from heat.

Jessica Randhawa, the chef and content creator behind The Forked Spoon, emphasizes this point, noting, "They can turn mushy and lose their appeal in the hot broth." If you've ever tried to eat leftover salad coated in dressing a day or two after serving it, you can imagine the consistency the leaves take on. Wilted and slimy greens don't have a place in your soup. Aside from a textural issue, they'll also lose most of their taste as they're heated, defeating the point of including them in the first place.

Stick to serving them as a fresh side salad, and opt for bulkier leafy greens to wilt if desired. Lisa Richards, nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet, recommends heartier options like collard greens, kale, and chard. "These varieties are more robust and hold up better during cooking, maintaining their texture and flavor," she explains.

Contrary to delicate greens, which become entirely overwhelmed by other soup ingredients, bitter greens take over. If you're looking for a dish that features mustard greens, broccoli rabe, radicchio, dandelion greens, or endives front and center, then go ahead and toss them into the pot. Some soup recipes even make a point of highlighting bitter greens, such as Portuguese caldo verde, which features kale or collard greens. However, these soups tend to be fairly one-note, with subtle nuances in taste, from the inclusion of sausage and mild vegetables.

Due to the bitter compounds in the leaves, it's trickier to work with these leafy greens in a soup unless you're following a recipe intended for their use. Sweet vegetables like carrots or sweet potatoes can help reduce the bitterness a bit, but you may find yourself merely searching for ways to downplay their flavors instead of appreciating them for what they are. Ideally, stick to using bitter greens for stir-fries or raw salads that provide more distinction between the flavors of the various ingredients. Additionally, tangy vinaigrettes help offset the bitterness in the vegetables, making the dining experience far more enjoyable.

Cucumber shines in many dishes, but unfortunately, soup — and most hot recipes — don't do it any favors. Jessica Randhawa points out that the vegetable (or botanical fruit, to be exact) is not suited to preparations that involve heat. It quickly becomes mushy in a hot broth and loses its characteristic crunch and refreshing nature. "Instead, I opt for vegetables that hold up better to heat, like carrots or celery, which maintain their texture and add a satisfying bite to the soup," Randhawa recommends.

Now, if you expand the definition of soup to include cold liquid preparations, then a chilled cucumber soup is far more welcome. Without being exposed to heat, it retains its delicate flavor, while its watery consistency can be used to dilute a rich and creamy soup. Meanwhile, you could stir-fry cucumber for a short duration at high heat if you want to experiment with it warm, as it will maintain more of its texture with this preparation vs. sitting in hot broth.

If you've developed a newfound love for Brussels sprouts after savoring them roasted in their sweet, caramelized glory, then you'll understand why they aren't an optimal addition to soup. Brussels sprouts fall into the category of bitter cruciferous vegetables, and if you had any trouble enjoying them as a child, it was likely due to their preparation. Steaming or boiling the orbs emphasizes the bitterness, and adding them to a soup will likely infuse the rest of the ingredients with bitter notes, too.

On the other hand, roasting Brussels sprouts with olive oil and maple syrup completely transforms them into the type of dish people fight over to finish. If you want to incorporate Brussels sprouts into a soup recipe, consider using them as a garnish. Slice the base to separate the leaves, then toss them with olive oil and seasonings and roast them. Then, simply sprinkle the crunchy leaves over a creamy veggie soup to give it a textural contrast without any bitter undertones.

Meat plays an important role in many soup recipes, whether it's the star feature or a supporting actor. Either way, it provides protein, plenty of flavor, and added texture in each bite. What you want to avoid when incorporating meat is an overly fatty cut that causes the soup to develop an oily residue. Cuts of meat with a lot of connective tissue become less tough as they simmer, but it can take a long time until they are tender.

If your goal is to make soup for dinner without spending hours in the kitchen, you'll want to avoid meats that require that much time to cook or consider making your soup in a slow cooker and setting it in the morning. Similarly, while there are several tricks to remove the film of grease from the presence of fatty meats in your soup, these steps introduce more work to your meal. Instead, opt for quick cooking options like ground meat; saute it first before draining the juices and stirring it into your soup. Alternatively, precooked shredded meat is a great option to add to your soup in the final minutes of cooking to warm it up with the liquid ingredients.

Vegetables are an obvious addition to soup recipes, but some choices don't work as well as others. Executive chef Nic Vanderbeeken of fine dining restaurant Apéritif in Ubud, Bali, offers excellent insight to home cooks to ensure success, thanks to decades of experience in the kitchen.

"I avoid adding tough vegetables like asparagus ends, broccoli stalks, or artichoke leaves to soups," he says, and explains, "These vegetables can be stringy and fibrous, resulting in an unpleasant, chewy texture that doesn't soften well during cooking." Similarly, snow peas or other beans or peas with stringy bits need to be properly prepped ahead of time if you want to add them to soup.

Broccoli stalks or asparagus ends make a crunchy addition to stir-fries, and artichoke leaves are delicious steamed and dipped in a vinaigrette. However, these options are best left out of soup. "Instead, I opt for vegetables that will soften nicely, like carrots, potatoes, or squash. These add a creamy texture and blend well into the soup," he recommends.

Minestrone and potato soup are classics, but it's important to get the preparation and components just right. Otherwise, you'll end up with a sludgy soup that's thick in all of the wrong ways. Chef Nic Vanderbeeken emphasizes the importance of limiting the amount of starchy ingredients like pasta, potatoes, or rice. In particular, he advises against using these types of ingredients if you're aiming to have leftovers. "I've found that these ingredients continue to absorb liquid, turning the soup overly thick and mushy after a day or two," he warns.

Thankfully, there are some tricks if you want to enjoy grains or starchy vegetables in your soup. For example, Vanderbeeken recommends, "I prefer to cook them separately and add them to the soup just before serving, ensuring the texture stays just right." Jessica Randhawa seconds this method and prefers to scoop individual servings of grains into each portion. For anyone who is particular about their pasta being cooked al dente, this will guarantee you avoid eating mushy, overdone noodles.

Meanwhile, one of the biggest mistakes people make with potato soup is choosing the wrong variety for their purposes. If you're planning to blend the components, then a starchy variety will do; however, for a chunky soup, a waxy variety is optimal.

The best soups have a well-balanced taste and texture, with no one ingredient overpowering the rest. Consequently, seasonings can play a big role in achieving this equilibrium. If you use a harmonious medley of spices and herbs, the result is seasoned yet subtle. However, if you opt for pungent spices or herbs, your soup quickly becomes monotone with one main player on the palate.

Chef Nic Vanderbeeken understands the importance of seeking balance when making soup. "I steer clear of overly pungent spices like star anise or cloves unless the soup specifically calls for those flavors. These spices can easily overpower the more delicate flavors in the soup, making it taste unbalanced," he says. Of course, if you're preparing an easy chicken pho recipe, then star anise fits right in; however, it's not a seamless addition in other dishes.

"I think it's better to start with a light hand, using milder herbs like thyme, bay leaves, or parsley, which can enhance the soup without dominating it," he recommends. If you stick to complementary flavors or spice pairings that work in other dishes, you can't go wrong with your soup.

Adding a splash of cream (or more) is a pretty standard way to boost the richness of your soup, but if you pair it with certain ingredients, the results will be less than ideal. When dairy combines with acid, it typically curdles, creating an unpleasant grainy consistency and a taste that can be unappetizing. While you might not think you're making an acidic soup, common ingredients like tomato or lemon are high on the acidity scale.

To counter this issue, Jessica Randhawa shares, "If I'm making a creamy tomato soup, I'll add a pinch of baking soda to neutralize the acid or use a dairy alternative like coconut milk, which blends more smoothly." Another trick to prevent dairy from curdling your soup is to stick to a low-to-medium heat, stirring frequently. If the contents are close to bubbling, quickly reduce the heat to prevent boiling, which will cause the dairy ingredients to curdle. Adding dairy ingredients close to the end of the cooking time will also reduce the chances of curdling.