It’s winter right now and what a great winter the warmest soups are. Homemade soups are the best, hands down, but how do you make great soup on a budget? Of course, we all want to save money. It is easy if you follow a few simple rules.
* Most people know this tip, if you didn’t know before, now. Add raw potatoes to soup that is too salty. Simmer for about 20 minutes and the salinity will have reduced. You also get a great potato meal as the flavors are absorbed, a bonus if there ever was one.
* If you sauté your vegetable ingredients before adding them to the main cooking, they will taste ten times better.
* You do not need to boil the soup for a long time, some soups do not even need to reach the boiling point. Try to boil enough for the ingredients to cook properly and turn off the heat. You will have a better tasting soup, a better looking soup, and you will also save energy.
* How many times have you burned your soup? A big saving is to pour the unburned portion of the soup into another saucepan, add a little curry powder or mustard, and reheat. Curry or mustard will mask the burnt taste and, of course, will add to your food to warm it up during the winter night.
* If your soup is very runny, there is a good way to thicken it. While still stirring, add some instant mashed potatoes, this won’t affect the flavor of the soup too much. You can use gravy granules depending on whether you don’t mind the gravy flavors being added.
* If your soup lacks flavor and body, just a canned soup for yours, no one will know and it will make the difference between being good and excellent.
* Leftovers make great soups, cooked pasta, meat, or vegetables. Whether raw or cooked, they can be pureed and made into wonderful soups.
* Finally, if you get a chance and have enough ingredients, make large amounts of soup and freeze the portion you don’t use. If you prepare a lot of small portions, you can have a full season of soup, you can simply defrost and heat quickly and efficiently.
There are thousands of recipes for soups you can have, but most soups don’t need much to make them special meals on a cold night. Also perfect as a diet aid. Good luck with your soup making efforts, now you can’t go wrong.