The lady at the farmer's market taught me a cheap soup trick

I was buying veggies at the farmer's market last Saturday when this older woman noticed me picking up some sad looking carrots and celery. She laughed and said those are the best ones for soup because they're cheap and full of flavor. She showed me how she buys all the marked down produce at the end of the day and makes a big pot of soup for the whole week. I told her I always struggled with soup tasting watery and bland. She said the trick is to roast the veggies first on a sheet pan for 20 minutes at 400 degrees before adding broth. I tried it that night with a chicken carcass I had in the freezer and it was seriously the best soup I've ever made. Anyone else have a simple tip from a stranger that changed how they cook cheap meals?

2 comments

2 Comments

thea_knight29d ago

Hang on, did you save the liquid from roasting? Everyone talks about roasting the veggies but nobody mentions the pan drippings. That stuff is pure gold. Pour a little water or broth in the hot pan and scrape it all up, then dump that into your soup pot. It adds this deep roasted flavor that changes the whole thing. I learned that from a diner cook. Makes watery soup taste like it simmered all day.

grant.margaret29d agoMost Upvoted

You're so right, nobody ever talks about the pan drippings and it makes such a difference.