Soup is a familiar dish in Vietnamese meals, almost every day. However, according to nutrition experts, many families are cooking soup incorrectly without realizing it, causing the dish to not retain its natural deliciousness and lose important nutrients.
These mistakes often stem from long-standing cooking habits, seemingly correct but directly affecting the quality of the soup.
Below are common mistakes that many families are making when cooking soup every day.
1. Put vegetables in a pot when the water has not boiled
Many people have a habit of adding vegetables when the water is still cold or not fully boiled. This causes vegetables to be "boiled for a long time", lose their natural green color and reduce vitamin levels.
The correct way is to wait for the water to boil thoroughly before adding the vegetables to maintain freshness and nutrition.
2. Cook soup for too long after adding vegetables
Many people are afraid that vegetables are not cooked, so they cook them for a very long time after putting them in a pot. However, cooking for too long will make vegetables mushy, lose their natural sweetness and reduce nutrients.
Only cook just enough time for the vegetables to cook and then turn off the heat immediately.
3. Seasoning too early
Another common mistake is to season with salt and fish sauce from the beginning. This makes vegetables easily darkening and loses the natural sweetness of the ingredients.
It is best to season at the end to make the soup more harmonious.
4. Using too much water
Many families have a habit of adding a lot of water because they think "thin soup is easy to eat". However, too much water will make the soup taste bland, lose richness and dilute nutrients.
Only use just enough water with the ingredients.
5. Not taking advantage of bone broth properly
With bone soup dishes, many people simmer for too long or simmer incorrectly, causing the water to become cloudy and lose its natural sweetness. In addition, not cutting off the foam often also makes the soup less delicious.
The best way is to simmer over low heat and regularly remove the foam to make the water clearer and sweeter.
Just change a few small habits in the way you cook soup, you will see this familiar dish become more delicious, clearer and retain more nutrients every day.
