Soup and Stew Basics

Have you ever tried a truly fantastic soup or stew, and wondered exactly how the chef managed to make it all taste so perfect? The thing about soups and stews is that these dishes are not difficult to make. Like any other dish, a soup or a stew is a combination of many fine ingredients – but, before you even think about the type of dish you want to make, you must first learn the basics.

All great soups and stews start out with a fabulous stock – there are no exceptions to this rule. This means that you have two choices, you can either create your own stock, or you can buy pre-made chicken, beef, or vegetable stock at your local grocer. Once you have the stock, set it aside. The next thing that all great soups and stews require is some sort of base taste. Usually, chopping a few onions and throwing them into a simmer pan of butter or oil (butter is better when you are making a thick stew) will do the trick.

Once your onions are simmering, place all other vegetables that you intend to use inside of your soup pot. Then, cover the entire thing with your stock, but be very careful that you only add enough water to cover the tops of the vegetables (you can add more later). Now, simply let your stoup simmer on the stovetop for quite awhile in order to bring out the flavors. Once that is done, your soup should be well on its way to excellence. Remember to get a great stock; make a small base with onions and butter; and then add only enough water to cover anything already in the pot. If you want to thicken your stew, simply mix flour and water on the side and add it to the concoction. Making a nice, hot, dish is not that hard, but it does require a bit of knowledge. Now, get in that kitchen, and start stewing!