Seasoning Stocks and Soups

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top 1000La Varenne Pratique
La Varenne Pratique

By Anne Willan

Published 1989

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For all stocks, moderate seasoning is the key, so that the flavors in the final dish are enhanced. Most cooks advise against adding salt since reduction of a liquid concentrates the stock, making it sufficiently salty. Whole peppercorns should be used rather than ground pepper which can turn bitter after prolonged cooking.

Soups, however, should be seasoned during cooking, always allowing for evaporation. Taste for seasoning again shortly before serving, bearing in mind that a soup should be less highly seasoned than a sauce. Cooked soups that are served cold should be tasted while hot, and again when cold, because the effect of the seasoning diminishes as the soup cools. For instructions on freezing soup, see Preserving.