By Cindy Hazen, Contributing Editor
Some days, I crave canned tomato soup mixed with milk and topped with crushed saltine crackers. Just as tasty as I remember from my childhood, it’s still my go-to comfort food.
But, while nostalgia has its place—Campbell's tomato soup was introduced in 1897, after all—condensed soup is more basic than my typical fare. Like many other consumers, I’m looking for soup with more nutrients in the form of extra vegetables and whole grains, along with less fat and sodium. I want it to be filling, but at a reasonable calorie cost. I might not even want soup in a can.
Begin with a base
Most soups begin with a stock or broth base. These terms are often used interchangeably, but generally a stock is made with chicken or meat bones. The gelatin released from these bones imparts a fuller mouthfeel and richer flavor. Broths are typically made from meat. Vegetarian bases are the exception to this generality. More often the term vegetarian stock is used rather than vegetarian broth.
A chef or home cook might create stocks or broths by simmering vegetables, meat or fish and other seasonings in water for hours at a time. For those without the luxury of scratch-cooking techniques, using prepared bases in powdered, paste or liquid forms either refrigerated or frozen, circumvents this step.
When choosing the base, consider the clarity of the broth. Will the finished product be clear like a French onion soup or thick and dark like a beef stew?
The base most commonly used is a chicken or turkey broth or stock, notes Xingqiu Lou, director of technical development, Proliant Meat Ingredients, Ankeny, IA. Even the majority of cream soups contain some kind of stock, “usually a chicken or turkey, unless the soup is specifically a different genus/species. These stocks are mainly lighter in flavor and go well with the majority of all other flavors within that particular soup."
Bases cover a wide spectrum of flavor profiles because the raw materials and the production process used in their manufacture impact them. Additional flavor enhancers, such as MSG or yeast extract, can boost and smooth out savory flavor.
If the goal is to formulate without MSG or I&G (inosinate and guanylate), “flavor-enhanced stock and broths can be utilized to replace artificial flavors and/or chemical type additives," says Lou. “These are reacted flavors from meat broth and stocks through a Maillard reaction. The Maillard reaction causes an enhanced meaty flavor and umami taste. The flavors have a natural meaty flavor from both proteins and/or their amino acids but, in addition, they have an aroma from the Maillard reaction."
Using an emulsified stock can reduce or eliminate dairy products that pose an allergen risk in creamy-type soups. For example, Lou explains, “emulsified chicken broth is chicken fat that is emulsified with chicken broth. The label is still chicken broth because chicken fat is not an added ingredient; it is the natural chicken fat in high-fat chicken broth."
When formulating reduced-sodium products, bases can help restore flavor. “When salt or sodium is reduced in meat or savory applications, the product will not be tasted with the regular fullness and richness," Lou continues. Adding bases helps restore the taste, mouthfeel and richness "to certain levels," he says.
The stock's format can offer advantages and disadvantages. Powdered stocks are easy to store and have a longer shelf life. However, an additional manufacturing step is required to dissolve the stock. They also have a potential for foaming. Powdered stocks do not generally have the full mouthfeel associated with liquid products. “Powder product tends to have some burning notes or increased bitterness from the drying process," says Lou. “Liquid products maintain more of the original flavor profile."
These can be found as frozen liquid stocks, containing 30% to 35% total solids. The storage and transportation requirements of frozen or refrigerated stocks may create a disadvantage for some manufacturers.
Shelf-stable pastes are easier to use than frozen liquids because they are easier to store and don’t need a thawing step. However, Lou cautions that they have a shorter shelf life and often higher sodium. Normally these products contain 35% to 60% solids without salt. “In this range of solids, without the addition of salt, the broth will not be shelf stable," he says. “If refrigerated, you can extend the shelf life to a few weeks or months, depending on the product’s total solids or water activity."
Cooler varieties
