What Actually Happens To Soup If You Boil It - Tasting Table (2024)

What Actually Happens To Soup If You Boil It - Tasting Table (4)

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ByStephanie Friedman/

If you've ever made soup at home to warm up during the chilly winter months, you know that many recipes ask you to simmer the pot, sometimes for an hour or more. Recipes like chicken tortilla soup, beef and vegetable stew, and white chili all require the ingredients to cook at a low heat so the flavors can meld together (via Midwest Living). In particular, brothy soups like matzoh ball benefit from a long simmering time, and chicken stock typically needs to simmer for up to eight hours, according to The New York Times.

So how do you know if you're simmering soup the right way? According to Maytag, a simmer is accomplished when a liquid cooks between 185 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit, just below a boil. You'll be able to tell if you're at the right spot because the bubbles rising to the top will be small, and they'll mostly stay underneath the liquid's surface.

With hours-long simmering times, it's tempting to turn up the dial on your stove and bring your pot to a boil. But before you do so, it's important to understand how that will affect the ingredients in your soup.

Boiling soup leads to mushy veggies and tough meat

What Actually Happens To Soup If You Boil It - Tasting Table (5)

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Since boiling food brings it to a higher temperature, it's easy to think that it's a good way to cook your soup faster -– but boiling soup can backfire. According to Patch, boiling soup can make your vegetables fall apart, and your meat overcooked and tough. Boiling causes rapid movement for the food in the pot, which allows your ingredients to bump into each other and start to break down, Bake Instinct explains. While a simmer creates enough movement to release flavor, it's still slow enough that your ingredients will remain intact.

Boiling can also reduce too much liquid, which isn't what you want when it comes to soup (via Boss the Kitchen). While some recipes may tell you to bring your pot to a boil, they'll likely say to immediately turn the temperature down to a simmer afterward. In addition to tenderizing tougher foods, like meat or dried vegetables, simmering a soup gives the ingredients time to absorb the deliciously seasoned broth, according to The Kitchn. And to help everything season evenly, Patch recommends cutting your meat and vegetables into evenly sized pieces.

So although it may sound appealing to quickly boil your soup, try to resist temptation and leave it at a simmer — it will be worth the wait.

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What Actually Happens To Soup If You Boil It - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

What Actually Happens To Soup If You Boil It - Tasting Table? ›

Boiling causes rapid movement for the food in the pot, which allows your ingredients to bump into each other and start to break down, Bake Instinct explains. While a simmer creates enough movement to release flavor, it's still slow enough that your ingredients will remain intact.

Does boiling soup make it safe to eat? ›

To be completely safe, you'll have to boil the soup vigorously for 10 minutes. Doing this will not only kill off any active bacteria, it will also inactivate -- but not destroy -- botulinum spores.

Does boiling destroy flavor? ›

Boiling just dilutes all the oils and flavour in the water so you end up with flavourless components in a very weak stock.

Does simmering soup longer make it taste better? ›

The longer the stock cooks, the more flavorful your soup will be.

What happens if you boil soup for too long? ›

Your broth can also evaporate if you boil it for too long, and for all these reasons, you should bring your soup to boil and then immediately turn it down to a simmer for the rest of the cooking time, as many recipes advise.

What bacteria cannot be killed by cooking? ›

Myth: If you let food sit out more than 2 hours, you can make it safe by reheating it really hot. Fact: Some bacteria, such as staphylococcus (staph) and Bacillus cereus, produce toxins not destroyed by high cooking temperatures.

Is E. coli killed by cooking? ›

The good news is, E. coli and many other harmful bacteria can be killed by cooking food properly. Food safety tip: Because ground beef can turn brown before disease-causing bacteria are killed, use a digital food thermometer to make sure you cook hamburger to an internal temperature of at least 71°C (160°F).

Can you boil the flavor out of soup? ›

Boiling soup leads to mushy veggies and tough meat

While a simmer creates enough movement to release flavor, it's still slow enough that your ingredients will remain intact.

Can you overboil soup? ›

Turning your heat up too high

Boiling your soup, instead of simmering it, will quickly cause your vegetables to overcook, making them mushy instead of tender. Any protein you add can also quickly toughen up and become dry when boiled due to the protein fibers constricting and pushing out the meat's juices.

Is 5 day old soup ok to eat? ›

For best safety and quality, plan to eat refrigerated soup within 3 to 4 days or freeze it. And avoid letting soup set at room temperature for more than TWO hours.

Why put a stone in soup? ›

One story about the origin of the term stone soup is that during the US's Great Depression, families unable to put food on the table every day simply placed a porous rock in the stock pot on days when there was food - and subsequently flavour - to absorb.

What not to put in soup? ›

The Worst Things to Put in Your Soup
  1. By Sara Butler. If there's one good thing about fall and winter, it's soup. ...
  2. Heavy Cream. Heavy cream creates an inviting texture for soups but that's where its positive contributions end. ...
  3. Juice. ...
  4. Turkey Bacon. ...
  5. Cheese. ...
  6. Croutons.

Why shouldn't you boil soup? ›

The soup is already cooked. Boiling it won't ruin it, but it'll ruin your tongue and make any veggies even soggier.

How long should homemade soup simmer? ›

Bring it all to a boil, then simmer. You will know it's done when it's all tender, anywhere from 25 minutes to 3 hours depending on the ingredients. Meat is a luxurious addition to any soup. When you can, choose stewing cuts, such as chicken legs, pork shoulder, beef chuck, short ribs or shank.

Do you simmer soup with the lid on or off? ›

You can simmer with the cookware lid on or off, simply follow your recipe instructions. Keep in mind that when using a cover, you'll want to set your stovetop to a low setting as it can reach a simmer faster than without a cap. When you're not using a lid, adjust your stovetop setting to medium.

Does boiling food make it safe to eat? ›

Cooking food will kill bacteria for the most part, but it may not destroy all the bacteria present.

At what temperature is soup safe to eat? ›

According to the Journal of Food Science, the optimal temperature for soup lies somewhere between 136 and 162 degrees.

Is it OK to eat hot soup? ›

No, it would not be unsafe. Think of it this way: a restaurant makes the soup of the day first thing in the morning, then keeps it warm (and therefore cooking) all day long. As long as the soup is kept hotter than 140° Fahrenheit, it's safe to eat.

Why should we not boil instant soup? ›

Packed soups like knorr are harmful for your body as they contain chemicals like preservatives, artificial flavours,synthetic colors and so on that are not at all good for your body .

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