Wash and peel the veg if necessary; by shredding or cutting into smaller pieces they’ll cook quicker and, in the case of potatoes and sweet potatoes, will help to thicken the soup.  

I like to add the vegetables to the foundation ingredients once they have been softened. Stir through before placing the lid on the pot and allowing the vegetables to “sweat” for three minutes. This too brings out the melange of flavours.

Then, a tip is to sprinkle over 15-30ml (1-2 tbsp) of flour, depending on the volume of soup you’ll be making; this will thicken the soup nicely without making it gloopy.

4. CHICKEN, BEEF OR TOFU?

The beauty of a soup is a little protein can go a long way and intensify the flavour.

Think stewing beef cuts, like shin, because long slow cooking breaks down the connective tissue, releasing the flavours and enriching the soup with the bone marrow. You can use other stewing cuts too, just ensure you remove most of the fat before adding them to the soup.

Chicken on the bone is better than breast portions, which become stringy after long cooking.

Brown your chosen protein in a little oil first, before the foundation vegetables, and seal the meat on both sides. Remove from the pot and set aside before softening the foundation veg, adding a little extra oil if necessary. Return the protein to the soup before adding the stock.

For vegetarian or vegan options, leave out the meat and add blocks of tofu or another meat replacement towards the end of cooking.

4. STOCK TAKE

For every 3-4 cups of vegetables, use 2 litres of liquid.

This could be homemade stock or water with the addition of an instant stock cube (1-2 cubes to 1 litre of boiling water), or a vegetable extract like Marmite, Bovril or miso (soy paste) — dissolve 25ml (5 tsp) of your chosen flavouring in 1 litre boiling water.

Adding hot or boiling liquid will hasten the cooking process, but remember that a good soup takes time and a long slow simmer will nurture all those wholesome flavours. In fact, most soups taste even better the next day.

If you need to top up the pot with extra liquid throughout the cooking process, ensure it is hot or boiling so you don’t reduce the cooking temperature.

5. ADD A PUNCH OF FLAVOUR 

A broth of vegetables (and meat or chicken, if using) needs to be enlivened with flavour.

For Mediterranean-style soups, I add dried or fresh herbs like thyme, oreganum or rosemary, and for those leaning towards Asian spectrum, chilli, coriander and fish sauce.

Good options to liven up a dull soup are Worcestershire or soy sauce, fish sauce, chilli sauce, salt and freshly ground pepper, and spices like cumin and coriander and curry paste.

Keep in mind, however,  that stocks and vegetable extracts can be salty, so taste the soup before adding additional salt or other salty ingredients like soy sauce.

6. STREEEETCH THE SOUP

A handful of pulses or grains will bulk up the soup and add a pleasant thickness, even creaminess. Favourites are lentils, barley, dried peas and beans, or a ready-made mix of dry soup ingredients you can find in the supermarket.