Does sauteing an onion really matter?

Question

Do I really need to "sautee" the onion prior to putting it in Chicken soup or can I just cut it up and throw it in with all of the other ingredients?........... I feel lazy and don't want to take the time if it isn't going to make that much of a difference.

Answer 1

It will make a difference in both texture and taste.

Cooking will soften the onion. It will also "mellow" the sharper taste that a raw onion has. It also only take a few minutes, so it's not such a big deal.

Plus, if you sautee in oil or butter, it will also flavor that oil/butter which will help "carry" the onion flavor through the soup.

I always cook mine first when I make soup, but I suppose "to each his own"" if you'd like to try it the other way!

Answer 2

I usually don't saute onions for a soup, because the soup is on the stove for quite a while. They're never crunchy when the soup is served. And trust me, neither my husband nor I like crunchy raw onions, and this method works all the time.

Answer 3

If it is a quick cooking soup then sauteing the onion is probably necessary not only for the flavor but to actually cook the onion. If it is a soup that is very slow cooking soup them I'm sure it would be fine to skip that step.

Answer 4

If its going to cook in soup, you dont really need to saute it. Sauteing just developes the flavor to make it more robust. When I do soup, I just chuck everything in the pot and hope for the best.....lol

Answer 5

It will soften the onion. The onion may still be crunchy if you don't saute it. Or you can just keep baking it until the onions soften.

Answer 6

Makes a difference in taste.

Answer 7

If you don't if thet are crunchy or not, it does. Quit being lazy.