5 Annoying Kitchen Habits That Ruin Your Soup

Whether it’s making spicy gumbo or creamy tomato bisque, to me fall is just another name for soup season. There are plenty of easy soup recipes out there, but messy kitchen habits like lazy ingredient prep and haphazard blending can wreak havoc on even the best-laid plans.

A common mistake in making soup is letting it stew for too long. It’s time to learn how to make soup the right way. It all starts with having the right kitchen essentials, like a powerful immersion blender and silicone cookware. If you’re always preparing soups, or you’re finally ready to make your first batch, skip these tedious kitchen rituals and make the best soups, stews, and bisques.

Best kitchen tools for making soup

While preparing the materials

Ingredient preparation is important, especially during soup season. If you want to minimize cooking time, you should wash, cut, and prep your ingredients before stirring anything. Wash produce in a salad spinner to speed up the drying process, or chop it all at once in a food processor or vegetable chopper. You can also prepare it in advance and store it in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

Cook proteins and vegetables together

Although it’s simple, the best soup recipes don’t tell you to throw all the ingredients into the pot at the same time and leave it alone. You may need to roast vegetables in the oven, sear meat on the stove, or caramelize onions. Sturdy cookware and reliable appliances can help you with processes like crisping up chicken in the air fryer or sautéing vegetables in a cast iron skillet.

working in the wrong pot

My classic soup recipe has many steps, but I try to cook as many of them in the same pot as possible, from browning the chicken thighs to softening the onions and garlic. That’s why I never reach for old pots. Only a trusty Dutch oven, a durable stainless steel stockpot, or a quick pressure cooker can get the job done. Pressure cookers are handy in a pinch, enameled cast iron dishes are oven safe, and stainless steel pots are easy to clean.

Use of vulnerable tools

Soups can be thick and heavy, so you don’t want tools that aren’t suitable for that purpose. I keep both wood and silicone cookware in my kitchen, with the exception of a sturdy stainless steel ladle. They are heat resistant, durable, and do not introduce microplastics into your food. I use a wooden spoon to gently scrape up all the goodies from the bottom of the Dutch oven, and a silicone spatula to brown the chicken and cook the vegetables.

improper blend

Not all soups need to be blended, but you’ll need a sturdy, powerful blender to achieve a smooth, velvety consistency. If your blender has a weak motor or dull blades, replace it with a high-powered Vitamix or the best immersion blender. While blenders are quick and efficient, handheld immersion blenders take up much less space and can save you time washing dishes.

It may be tempting to cut corners when making soup, but the details are critical to a delicious bowl. Making small changes like investing in chef-recommended non-toxic cookware and preparing and storing ingredients in glass food containers can make soup season even more flavorful.