When the weather starts to cool off, and it’s time to pull out the sweaters, it’s time to cook up a pot of delicious soup. Boiling up some soup doesn’t have to be a head-scratcher, and you don’t have to go hunting around for a good recipe. It’s absolutely possible to freestyle your next homemade soup.

Choose Your Base

A soup’s base will set you up for a mouthwatering homemade soup. It sets the tone for a well-rounded soup. Onion, celery, garlic, and carrots are a traditional soup base for a great meal. If you’re not a big fan of these ingredients, you can use a blender to blend them after softening them up in a bit of butter to make them less noticeable. The base can also include bell peppers, leeks, or scallions.

Spices and Herbs

Add a little spice to your soup to help it pop in your mouth. Add a little cumin, fenugreek, ginger, or a lot of garlic. These are just some of the flavorful spice options.

Even if you’re not a fan of spicy foods, you can add a whole mildly spicy pepper to your soup and fish it out before eating. That way, you will get its depth of flavor without the heat.

You can also add your herb of choice. Thyme, oregano, sage, and rosemary are some cold-hardy herbs that can transform a bowl of soup. Not only do spices and herbs add dimension to your soups, but they also pack a nutritious punch. They’re full of essential vitamins and minerals that can help support good health.

Stock

If you prefer a smoother or thicker soup, add some flour to your base to get the silky texture you want when you add your stock. Another way to do this is to add a potato to the base or a handful of red lentils to the stock. You can make your own stock or buy it from your local grocer.

There are many stock options, each with a different flavor to add to your soup. Chicken stock is a favorite for many, but you’ll also find bone broth, beef, vegetable, and mushroom stock. Choose the stock or broth based on your health needs, personal preferences, or the ingredients you’re cooking.

A Star

Now that the scene has been set, it’s time to add a star to your soup. It could be tomato, chicken, broccoli, cheddar, butternut squash, or something totally different. It’s your choice.

Depending on the soup you want to make, bring out your blender or immersion blender again as an easy way to bring it all together. If you’re making chicken noodle soup, a minestrone, or an egg drop soup, you won’t want to over-mix it and lose the structure of the individual ingredients. This is the part of the soup where your creativity can take center stage.

Garnishes

Make your soup look more appealing with a little garnish. Perhaps you want to add a dollop of sour cream on top or pumpkin seeds, parsley, or a sprig of thyme. These little touches can add the finishing touch.

Soup is one comfort food that rarely misses the mark. When you follow these steps, you’ll bring together a mouth-watering soup that will become a favorite when the sweater weather arrives.

Looking for more ideas? Check out these meal prep ideas for the work week. What is your favorite kind of soup to make?