Clear Soups and Broths
Cooking Skills: Soups and Stocks 1
Chapter 3 · Clear Soups and Broths
Skill goal
Keep a broth clear and build its flavour in layers, then season it right at the end.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
A broth is a soup you could almost drink, with a clear liquid and pieces of vegetable, meat or grain floating in it. It is the best test of your stock, because there is nowhere to hide: a good stock makes a good broth. Build it in layers: stock first, vegetables cut small and evenly so they cook together, protein poached gently and shredded or sliced, and a finish of salt, lemon and fresh herbs at the very end.
Keep it clear: simmer, don't boil; don't stir much; and skim. Add salt only at the end, because the liquid reduces. Barley and rice thicken a broth as they cook, so cook them separately if you want it really clear. Noodle soups have their own courses: see Cooking Skills: Noodles 1, chapter 3. The stocks come from chapters 1 and 2 of this course.
The method
- Use a good, unsalted stock, homemade or low-salt, and keep it at a bare simmer.
- Cut the vegetables small and even, about 1 cm, so they cook together and look neat.
- Poach the meat gently, then lift it out, shred or slice it and return it at the end.
- Skim as you go, and don't stir, which clouds the broth.
- Season at the end with salt, a squeeze of lemon and fresh herbs.
| Soup | Base | Main extras | Time (approximate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken and vegetable broth | Chicken stock | Chicken thighs, carrot, celery, leek | 40 minutes |
| Scotch broth | Lamb and water | Pearl barley, swede, carrot | 2 hours |
| Beef and barley soup | Brown stock | Beef shin, barley, root vegetables | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Egg-drop soup | Chicken stock | Egg, ginger, spring onion | 15 minutes |
Hot pot, raw meat and allergens
Hot pot and hot steam: a big pan of simmering stock or soup is heavy and scalding. Keep the handle turned in, use a ladle rather than pouring, lift the lid away from your face, and keep children and pets out of the kitchen while you move it.Raw chicken and carcasses: keep raw chicken and carcasses on their own board and plate, away from food that won't be cooked. Wash your hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water afterwards, never rinse raw chicken under the tap (it splashes bacteria around) and cook stock bones thoroughly.
Raw meat: keep raw beef and lamb on their own board and plate, away from food that won't be cooked. Wash your hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water afterwards, and cook the meat through.
Allergens in soup and stock: celery is one of the 14 major allergens and is in most stocks and stock cubes. Check cubes for celery, gluten, milk, soya, mustard and sulphites, and tell guests what is in the pot, because soup hides ingredients.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Chicken and vegetable broth
The classic. Poach two chicken thighs in the stock until just cooked, lift them out to shred, and cook small cut vegetables in the same stock. Add the chicken back at the end with parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Perfect for a cold.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 1.2 litres chicken stock (chapter 1), unsalted
- 2 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 celery stick, diced
- 1 leek, sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- ½ lemon, juice
- 1 pinch flaked sea salt
- Bring the stock and bay leaf to a gentle simmer, add the thighs and poach for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through (no pink, juices clear). Lift out and shred.
- Add the carrot, celery and leek and simmer for 10 minutes until tender.
- Return the chicken, season with salt and lemon, and add the parsley.
Raw chicken, hot pot and allergens
Raw chicken and carcasses: keep raw chicken and carcasses on their own board and plate, away from food that won't be cooked. Wash your hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water afterwards, never rinse raw chicken under the tap (it splashes bacteria around) and cook stock bones thoroughly.Hot pot and hot steam: a big pan of simmering stock or soup is heavy and scalding. Keep the handle turned in, use a ladle rather than pouring, lift the lid away from your face, and keep children and pets out of the kitchen while you move it.
Allergens in soup and stock: celery is one of the 14 major allergens and is in most stocks and stock cubes. Check cubes for celery, gluten, milk, soya, mustard and sulphites, and tell guests what is in the pot, because soup hides ingredients.
Sharp knives: a sharp knife is safer than a blunt one because it needs less force. Cut away from your body, steady the board with a damp cloth under it, curl your fingertips on the food you are holding and put the knife down flat when you are talking.
Level 2 · Quick
Egg-drop soup
A Chinese-style soup in 10 minutes. Simmer the stock with ginger, thicken it slightly with cornflour so the egg forms silky ribbons, and pour the egg in a thin stream while stirring gently in one direction.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 600 ml chicken stock, unsalted
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 slices of fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tbsp cold water
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 pinch white pepper
- Simmer the stock, soy sauce and ginger for 5 minutes. Lift out the ginger.
- Stir the cornflour mix and add it, stirring, until the broth is slightly thickened and clear.
- Pour in the beaten egg in a thin stream while stirring slowly. Stir for 30 seconds, add spring onions and pepper, and serve.
Raw egg, hot pot and allergens
Eggs in soup: egg-drop soup cooks the egg in a hot broth. Use fresh eggs, wash your hands after cracking them, and make sure the broth is simmering so the egg sets. Young children, pregnant women and the elderly should have the egg fully set, not wispy and raw.Hot pot and hot steam: a big pan of simmering stock or soup is heavy and scalding. Keep the handle turned in, use a ladle rather than pouring, lift the lid away from your face, and keep children and pets out of the kitchen while you move it.
Allergens in soup and stock: celery is one of the 14 major allergens and is in most stocks and stock cubes. Check cubes for celery, gluten, milk, soya, mustard and sulphites, and tell guests what is in the pot, because soup hides ingredients.
Allergens: contains egg, soya and often celery and gluten (stock and soy sauce).
Level 2 · Hearty
Scotch broth
A thick Scottish broth that is almost a stew: lamb on the bone, pearl barley and root vegetables, cooked in plain water so the meat flavours the liquid. Skim well, and add the barley and vegetables in stages.
Ingredients (6 portions)
- 600 g lamb neck or shoulder on the bone
- 2 litres cold water
- 80 g pearl barley, rinsed
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 150 g swede or turnip, diced
- 1 leek, sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tbsp chopped parsley
- Put the lamb and cold water in a pan, bring slowly to a simmer and skim for the first 15 minutes. Add the barley and bay and simmer for 1 hour.
- Add the onion, carrot, swede and leek and simmer for 45 minutes more. Lift out the lamb, remove the bones and fat, and shred the meat.
- Return the meat, season carefully, and stir in the parsley.
Raw meat, barley and hot pot
Raw meat: keep raw beef and lamb on their own board and plate, away from food that won't be cooked. Wash your hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water afterwards, and cook the meat through.Barley and gluten: pearl barley contains gluten and swells a lot, so a soup can turn into a stew if left. Add a little water when reheating, and use rice or buckwheat for a gluten-free soup.
Hot pot and hot steam: a big pan of simmering stock or soup is heavy and scalding. Keep the handle turned in, use a ladle rather than pouring, lift the lid away from your face, and keep children and pets out of the kitchen while you move it.
Bones in stock: strain stock through a sieve before it goes near children or anyone eating from it, because small bones come loose in long simmering. Cooked chicken bones splinter, so never give them to dogs.
Level 3 · Brown
Beef and barley soup
Use the brown stock from chapter 2 and a piece of shin. Cook the beef until it falls apart, then add the barley and vegetables so they stay distinct. The tomato paste gives colour. It tastes better the next day.
Ingredients (6 portions)
- 1.5 litres brown beef stock (chapter 2), unsalted
- 400 g beef shin or chuck, cut into 2 cm pieces
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 80 g pearl barley, rinsed
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 celery stick, diced
- 2 parsnips, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- Brown the beef in the hot oil in batches, then add the tomato paste, stock and bay leaf. Simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes until the beef is nearly tender.
- Add the barley and vegetables and simmer for 45 minutes more until the barley is tender and the beef falls apart.
- Season at the end, and add water if it has thickened too much.
Hot pan, raw beef, barley and hot pot
Hot pan and hot oil: roasting tins and frying pans for browning are very hot and fat spits. Use dry oven gloves, pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away.Raw meat: keep raw beef and lamb on their own board and plate, away from food that won't be cooked. Wash your hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water afterwards, and cook the meat through.
Barley and gluten: pearl barley contains gluten and swells a lot, so a soup can turn into a stew if left. Add a little water when reheating, and use rice or buckwheat for a gluten-free soup.
Hot pot and hot steam: a big pan of simmering stock or soup is heavy and scalding. Keep the handle turned in, use a ladle rather than pouring, lift the lid away from your face, and keep children and pets out of the kitchen while you move it.
Experiments
Experiment
Vegetables cut small or large
Cooking time.
- Cook two small pots of broth, one with 1 cm dice and one with 3 cm chunks, for the same time.
Look for: The small pieces cook evenly and look neat; the large ones are still hard in the middle.
Experiment
Barley soaked or not
Texture.
- Soak one spoon of barley for 2 hours and leave another dry, and simmer both for 45 minutes.
Look for: The soaked barley is softer and cooks faster; the dry barley takes longer and absorbs more of the broth.
Experiment
Broth salted early or late
Control.
- Salt one broth at the start and another at the end of the same simmer.
Look for: The early-salted one concentrates and can become too salty; the late-salted one is easy to adjust.
Experiment
A strained or rustic broth
Appearance.
- Strain half a pot of broth through a fine sieve and leave the other half as it is.
Look for: The strained broth is clear and elegant; the rustic one is cloudier but more filling.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken and vegetable broth | ||||
| Egg-drop soup | ||||
| Scotch broth | ||||
| Beef and barley soup | ||||
| Vegetables cut small or large | ||||
| Barley soaked or not | ||||
| Broth salted early or late | ||||
| A strained or rustic broth |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudy broth | Boiled hard or stirred | Simmer gently; strain through a cloth |
| Bland broth | Weak stock or not enough salt | Reduce, or season at the end with salt and lemon |
| Tough meat | Cooked too fast | Simmer very gently for longer |
| Thick, stew-like soup | Barley or rice swelled | Add hot stock or water and re-season |
| Rubbery egg | Broth boiling when added | Add the egg to a gentle simmer |
| Greasy surface | Fat not skimmed | Chill and lift off the fat, or blot with kitchen paper |
Hot pot, leftovers and allergens
Hot pot and hot steam: a big pan of simmering stock or soup is heavy and scalding. Keep the handle turned in, use a ladle rather than pouring, lift the lid away from your face, and keep children and pets out of the kitchen while you move it.Cooling and keeping stock: stock is an ideal place for bacteria to grow. Strain it, then cool it quickly in shallow containers or an ice bath, chill within 1 to 2 hours, and use within about 2 days (fish stock within 1 day) or freeze it. Never leave a big pot to cool slowly on the hob or worktop overnight. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.
Allergens in soup and stock: celery is one of the 14 major allergens and is in most stocks and stock cubes. Check cubes for celery, gluten, milk, soya, mustard and sulphites, and tell guests what is in the pot, because soup hides ingredients.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can keep a broth clear.
- I can build a broth in layers.
- I can poach chicken in stock.
- I can cook barley without it thickening the soup too much.
- I season a broth at the end.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Soups and Stocks 1, chapter 4 is Blended Soups: sweating, simmering, blending and seasoning smooth soups.