Hearty Vegi Soups

[Kevin86]

Hey

Usually I do roast soup like I post about all the time but the meat and the spices is the base for my stock every time and they’re delicious. I’ve attempted vegi soups squash, potato, tomato vegetable, etc.

They’re ok but I usually find them lacking that hearty flavour. They’re flavourful but they are just missing that something. I’m wondering what you guys do? I see lots of meatless soups brought up here so what’s the key for that hearty flavour?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Try adding porcini mushroom powder.

 

[taxlady]

I don't know if there is a trick, but this vegan soup is very hearty. I imagine that roasting the vegis helps concentrate the flavours. Some vegetable soups are made with meat stocks. That would add flavour.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f56/roasted-root-vegi-bisque-87840.html#post1318848

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Products suvh as porcini powder, Maggi, Kithen Boquet, and Worcestershire sauce all impart umami flavor that fortifies soup. A brown roux, made into a creamy binder will add both flavor, antd texture to the soup. If you do eat meat, throwing in marrow bones, poltry bones and knuckles, tripe, ham bones, gristle, and hocks wii add collagen that will make the broth richer., and more nutritious. If you want to stay away from animal products, use unflavored gelatin to do the same thing. Adding pearl barley is anothe addition that can turn a good soup into a great soup.

That's all I can think of right now. I hope I've given you ideas you like

Seeeeya;Chief Longwind of the North

 

[larry_stewart]

When I make a mushroom based soup ( like mushroom barley), I'll often use a brown roux ( as mentioned above) to kinda give it that added flavor and slightly thicken it uo a bit.

When Im making a minestrone or a tomato based soup that I want to be more hearty than brothy, Ill often take a cup or so of beans , add some broth, blend them into a puree then add to the soup, to give it a thicker, heartier taste and feel.

My grandmother passed down a recipe that she made back in the day. Its a take on mushroom barley, but the soup base has a cup of split yellow peas in it. As they cook down, it thickens the soup (as split green peas would to do pea soup). Its not as thick as Pea soup due to the amount or yellow peas added, that along with the barley add some heartiness to it.

There's a potato soup I made that was rally good. It was ultimately topped off with heavy cream which really did the trick. Now that my wife is vegan, and I have to accommodate, its very difficult ( or impossible) to mimic the heavy cream feel and taste. I can use stuff that is " white" or thicken it with a not so dark roux and it will look right, and not taste bad, but so far I haven't found anything to replace heavy cream. Coconut milk is the closest thing to vegan cream Iv experienced but the coconut taste limits what foods/ soups I can use it in.

When I come across veggie soups that require starting off with frying up some bacon, Ill often just add a few drops of liquid smoke to give it that smokey like taste to it.

This is another one, my daughter loves. We call it 'Bread Soup'
Basically a Tomato based soup, but towards the end you toss in some cubed sourdough, or some other kinda rustic bread in it, which absorb and thicken the soup, but stay together enough to enjoy while eating ( they sop up the soup base adding a nice texture). What I also do in this soup, since my daughter is not a vegan, is toss in a Parmesan Rind towards the end, but I cube it in like 1/4 - 1/2 in cubes. They meld down enough to be soft and chewy. My daughter fishes those pieces out from the pot leaving no for anyone else. ( I go for the bread cubes)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/ribollita-recipe.html

 

[Kevin86]

Adding soup bones or just use the stock from the roast is what I do and it’s amazing I’m just thinking about growing my internal cookbook lol

 

[Kevin86]

When I make a mushroom based soup ( like mushroom barley), I'll often use a brown roux ( as mentioned above) to kinda give it that added flavor and slightly thicken it uo a bit.

When Im making a minestrone or a tomato based soup that I want to be more hearty than brothy, Ill often take a cup or so of beans , add some broth, blend them into a puree then add to the soup, to give it a thicker, heartier taste and feel.

My grandmother passed down a recipe that she made back in the day. Its a take on mushroom barley, but the soup base has a cup of split yellow peas in it. As they cook down, it thickens the soup (as split green peas would to do pea soup). Its not as thick as Pea soup due to the amount or yellow peas added, that along with the barley add some heartiness to it.

There's a potato soup I made that was rally good. It was ultimately topped off with heavy cream which really did the trick. Now that my wife is vegan, and I have to accommodate, its very difficult ( or impossible) to mimic the heavy cream feel and taste. I can use stuff that is " white" or thicken it with a not so dark roux and it will look right, and not taste bad, but so far I haven't found anything to replace heavy cream. Coconut milk is the closest thing to vegan cream Iv experienced but the coconut taste limits what foods/ soups I can use it in.

When I come across veggie soups that require starting off with frying up some bacon, Ill often just add a few drops of liquid smoke to give it that smokey like taste to it.

This is another one, my daughter loves. We call it 'Bread Soup'
Basically a Tomato based soup, but towards the end you toss in some cubed sourdough, or some other kinda rustic bread in it, which absorb and thicken the soup, but stay together enough to enjoy while eating ( they sop up the soup base adding a nice texture). What I also do in this soup, since my daughter is not a vegan, is toss in a Parmesan Rind towards the end, but I cube it in like 1/4 - 1/2 in cubes. They meld down enough to be soft and chewy. My daughter fishes those pieces out from the pot leaving no for anyone else. ( I go for the bread cubes)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/ribollita-recipe.html

Thanks I know that took some time to write up

 

[CWS4322]

I am not sure what you mean by not hearty...perhaps your aren't developing the bottom, middle, and top notes of the flavour profile? Too thin? Taste remiscent of dishwather? I tend to build from the bottom of the flavour profile up. This is where you want to know what each herb/spice brings to the flavour profile--warmth, earthiness, sweetness, woodiness, etc. The same is true with your veggies. Tomato-based soups often benefit from a bit of citrus added at the end. Often the middle of the flavour profile with tomato-based soups is dominant and overtakes the bottom note. Carmelizing the mire poix first often solves that problem.

 

[larry_stewart]

Thanks I know that took some time to write up

Any time,
I dont sleep much so most of my posts are either in the middle of the night ( me rambling on and on). or early in the morning with little sleep. content should be good, but ignore poor grammar and spelling errors

 

[Rocklobster]

You should seek out umami flavorings..this is a flavor that can be achieved by adding various ingredients..naturally, they are common in meats, but you can get it with tomatoes, miso, soy sauce, the dreaded MSG, and other various vegetable products and by products..

 

[pepperhead212]

I just made something today that made me think of this thread - Duxelles. This is something that I used to have made up, and in the freezer at all times - one of those umami foods, around before that term was in common use, but that's exactly what it is, and it's great in soups, sauces, and all sorts of vegetarian foods. I used to cook a lot for a vegetarian lady, back in those days, and this was one of those things that helps a lot of dishes, even non-mushroom dishes. I used to make 3 lbs worth at one time in my 12" sauté pan, and it would fit in a pint mason jar, to freeze it. I only made a little over a lb worth this time, that was just under 3/4 c when cooked down.