how do you recommend to add some intensiveness to a great vegetable soup?

Question

oh come on the `Soup` needs warmed up... .

Answer 1

I agree with David...it's great!
If heated properly, vegetable soup needs no intensity, it is perfect in every way...smooth, warm, creamy and delicious!
However, if heated improperly, vegetable soup, especially the irish variety, can be brought to a boil too rapidly and without warning, and may tend to be overly intense.
It's all how you warm it and serve it which determines the intensity of vegetable soup.
Heaven forbid, never serve it cold!

Answer 2

Again, have to agree that if it's great already then don't muck about with it. (Although I personally find it very hard to imagine a 'great' vegetable soup. Not impossible, just very hard. I can imagine a very nice vegetable soup, but if you want to achieve greatness then you have to be less picky about your ingredients. Sorry, but that's how it is.)

It depends on what sort of soup you're making. A mild soup of gently sweated greens'n'roots in butter will not be improved by the addition of harissa, etc. Rather, it'll be bullied. Likewise, additions of worcestershire sauce/tabasco and so on will tend to add overpowering notes of whatever the sauce tastes like, to the soup. (N.b. - worcestershire sauce is not vegetarian, at least not if you're getting the proper kind, i.e. Lea & Perrins brand; it contains anchovies, and they are a crucial ingredient. Do not under any circumstances settle for anything less, because you might as well just dump a load of sugar, salt, vinegar and soy sauce into your soup for all the good it'll do you. WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE IS NOT VEGETARIAN! There, I've said my bit.)

If you make your soup with water, try making it with vegetable stock - if you can't be bothered to make the stuff, and frankly who can be, then use a decent stock powder (e.g. Marigold). Try using dried porcini, if you don't use them already. If you don't want to do that, try roasting the vegetables before you make soup out of them.

Alternatively, give up the unequal struggle and use a bit of ham or something. Vegetable soup is not and isn't meant to be intense. It's meant to be soothing. If you want fireworks, you need to add some kind of processed animal produce.

Answer 3

I love to make soup. The key to a great soup is a fat base and salt. I start out by sauteing an onion and some chopped garlic in 5-7 TBSP of butter (you can also use oil) on Medium heat. Then I add in vegetables (any combination of celery, carrot, broccoli, etc.. FYI: do not put in any leafy green veggies at this point). Then add in the spices you are going to use (the sky's the limit! cumin, salt, pepper, celery seed, mustard seed, chili powder, cayenne, etc...)This make the spices very rich tasting. Then add water or broth (4-8 cups depending on the amount of spices you use. taste the soup and add more water if needed. You can also add more spices at this point if you desire. Let the soup simmer for 10 minutes or so. Then add a few TBSP of Worcestershire sauce (you can find vegan if you do not want to use the kind with anchovies). Also, add a few TBSP of Miso (mix it up with a little water before you put it in the soup. At this point you could add in some kale or chard if you want a leafy green in your soup. cook for a few more minutes and serve! YUM!
***Cooking the spcies before you add the water really give an intence flavor to this soup

Answer 4

Make your own vegetable stock (haven't found a store-bought one I like yet) and use that as your liquid base instead of water.

Add some whole smashed garlic cloves

Are you using bay leaves?

Don't know if it's tomato based or not, but you could add a little tomato paste or oven roasted tomatoes.

You could also roast your vegetables first which brings out their flavor and their natural sugars in a delicious way.

Fresh herbs instead of dried (again, if you're not already doing that). Add a little more of your fresh herbs at the end as well.

Good luck!

Answer 5

You could add numerous things to perk it up. If you want it hot and spicy, add any of the following:

Tabasco sauce
Crushed red pepper flakes
Creole seasoning
Hot salsa
Chili powder

If you don't want it spicy, but want a different flavor, add any of these ingredients:

Pesto
Parmesan cheese
Romano cheese
Garlic
Heavy cream (make it a cream of vegetable soup)

Answer 6

A little squeeze of fresh lemon juice will brighten up all the flavors, and a few sprigs of parsley add a nice freshness. These work wonders with a long simmered soup.

Answer 7

the 1st element I do is to get out all the leftovers I even have on the cabinets I then pass for the time of the vegetable bin and notice what's in there i will upload. next I do the comparable with the freezer as that's a stable thank you to do away with luggage that are almost empty. I generally have dried slit peas, pearl barley as quickly as all of it is underway I initiate searching for seasons and tastes i will upload. i visit not often use inventory cubes or inventory as there might desire to be sufficient with the fowl beginning from scratch i could in all probability spend ninety mins engaged on it. I even have an aversion to including tomatoes of any kind, yet it is only me as they do upload countless flavour. Chetak

Answer 8

put a shake or two of red pepper flakes in while it simmers.

It only takes a very small amount to infuse the soup with a spiciness that helps all of its other flavors "pop"

I do this with canned chicken noodle soups, homemade beef stew, and others, although I stick with black ground pepper when its a "creamy" type soup.

Answer 9

I usually add chili powder and Worcestershire sauce, and just a drop or two of Tabasco when I make it. Maybe add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste, that can work wonders. Also, since it's already made and just needs "doctoring," try adding just a touch of garlic powder and a bit of thyme and simmer lightly.

Answer 10

Not sure if you mean intense regarding nutrition, flavor, color, thickness, or what.......

Barley or Orzo pasta thickens and makes it hearty
a bag of coleslaw mix (no dressing!) adds great fiber and color
a few Tbsp. of every color lentil you can find (red, green, black, yellow...)
toss in a freshly chopped tomato (no skin) at the last 3-5 minutes for a fresh flavor and color
a couple boullion cubes (chicken, vegetable, whatever) intensify the broth flavor.