Soup making - should I add extra water and boil off for flavour?
When making soup, my husband likes to add a lot of water then boil off for 30-45 mins to make it more concentrated.
I prefer to add just enough water for consistentcy then gently simmer, thinking that adding the water will just dilute it anyway, defeating the purpose of then boiling it off. Plus then the contents get mushier..
Which approach is recommended - or will both end up with a similar result?
Best Answer
My experience and the recipes I read are to simmer. Hard boil and simmer are the same temperature so cooking time should be the same. A hard boil can break up contents. Hard boil also dirties your stove top. That said even with a simmer you can sometimes need to add liquid.
If your husband wants to hard boil there is not much harm. He is cooking.
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How do you make soup more flavorful?
7 Easy Ways to Make Any Soup BetterCan you add more water to soup?
If you don't want to water the soup down, you may add one or two unseasoned potatoes and simmer them in the mix. They'll soak up lots of the salty broth, and you can add a bit of water to balance it out. Tip: Avoid oversalting by making one of these low-sodium soup recipes.Does boiling soup lose flavor?
Boiling just dilutes all the oils and flavour in the water so you end up with flavourless components in a very weak stock.Can you add boiling water to soup?
If you want to be able to add boiling water to the soup in the same plastic bag, use quart size Ziploc freezer bags. If you'll be transferring the soup mix to a bowl, mug, or pot before adding the boiling water, a pint size Ziploc is big enough.How To Preserve And Store Your Soup And Stew For Long Lasting Taste And Flavour./Meal Prep
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Answer 2
I doubt there is an advantage to adding extra water during the soup making process. Soup making is often a shorter process, and built on an existing base stock.
Stocks are commonly reduced, perhaps even by half (thus concentrating the flavor) for storage. One would then add water back, to bring the stock to regular strength, when ready to use for a soup.
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