Homemade Soups and Stocks (2024)

FAQs

How much stock to use in soup? ›

The Stock or Broth. Once you've built up your soup's foundation with aromatics and seasonings, it's time to add a stock or broth. No single element in a soup wields as much influence on its taste as its liquid. You will want about a cup per serving: a little more for a brothy soup, a little less for a hearty one.

The most useful stocks to make are chicken, beef, fish and vegetable stock. It's also a good idea to make it in large batches—it freezes beautifully and then you always have it on hand. Your stock should consist of 100 percent water, 50 percent bones and 10 percent vegetables.

As a result, stock is usually a healthier product, delivering a richer mouth feel and deeper flavor than broth. Stock is a versatile culinary tool that can deliver taste to any number of dishes. Darker in color and more concentrated in flavor than broth, it's ideal for use in soups, rice, sauces and more.

The store-bought chicken stock can be too salty, so make sure to dilute with water in a ratio of 2 parts broth to 1 part water (4 cups broth: 2 cups water) as a good starting point.

Suppose that you own a small business that sells coffee mugs. You know that on average, it takes you two days to sell a mug, and your average daily demand is five mugs. Using the formula above, we can calculate your minimum inventory level like this: Minimum Inventory Level = Average Daily Demand x Average Time to Sell.

Even the simplest vegetable stock — an onion, a carrot, a celery stalk, a few other scraps, cooked together for 20 minutes — can make a difference in most soups. And a grand, full-flavored chicken, meat, or fish stock is good enough to serve on its own.

Just as when you're making stock for soups or stews, boiling will cause soluble proteins and rendered fat to emulsify into the cooking liquid. By simmering, you avoid emulsifying the fat and thus keep the stock clearer, and we found that the scum created simply settled to the bottom of the pot.

There are four basic kinds of stock/fond: white stock (Fond Blanc), brown stock (Fond Brun), vegetable or neutral stock (Fond Maigre) and Fish Stock (Fume de Poisson). The classifications refer to the contents and method used to prepare the stock, not necessarily to color.

Chicken stock can be simmered for as little as 1 hour or up to 8 hours. Most often, you'll see recipes call for somewhere in between, about 3 to 4 hours. The longer the stock simmers, the more concentrated its flavor.

What happens if I use stock instead of broth? ›

In most cases, stock and broth are interchangeable. If you're in the soup aisle and can't remember whether the recipe called for stock or broth, either will do for making soup, gravy, or a flavorful pot of rice or grains. Keep in mind that stock is unseasoned, and broth is seasoned.

You want to dilute the stock because it's very rich and adds a ton of flavor, which can sometimes overpower clear soups. The one thing to remember when making things with homemade stock is ALWAYS ADD SALT.

If you'd like, you can occasionally skim the scum that floats to the top, but it's also fine to skip the skimming. I've found that two hours is a good amount of time for simmering chicken stock. A good amount of flavor is extracted from the chicken, but it's not an all-day affair.

Add Your Liquid- Select what liquid you are using for the soup you are making. Add 4 to 8 cups, depending on how much you want to make. 4 cups will make a chunkier, thicker soup, while 8 cups will make a runnier soup. If you use a warm liquid, this will expedite the cooking process.

A 3:1 ratio by volume of bones to mirepoix is a good starting point when making stock. More mirepoix may compete with the protein, whether chicken or beef. Many chefs prefer a higher ratio of up to 5:1 (bones:mirepoix), so that the chicken and beef flavors are more pronounced.

This way of using bone broth is SUPER simple. Simply substitute broth for water at a 1:1 ratio. For instance, instead of 2 cups water, use 2 cups broth. If you've only got 1 cup on hand, use it and then add a cup of water.

Depends what you're making with the stock. If it's soup, one or two should do. If you're using it for a sauce, risotto, or pilaf, you'll need more like 4-6 cubes. And if you're making some hardcore chicken-noodle soup, you might want to go ahead and use the whole box (8 cubes)!