There are many ways to garnish your soup or stock to add an extra touch to your homemade soup. Think of herbs, vegetables, but also pastas, bread or pancakes. And the well-known soup balls. Find various ways to garnish soup with some recipes here.
Vegetables and herbs
These foods are often used for simple garnish. You can add fresh finely chopped parsley, chervil or chives to any soup. Only add them before serving and do not let them cook with the soup. Choose fresh herbs that go with the aroma and flavor of the soup. For example, chopped chives go well in avocado soup, or fennel and dill in fish soups, tarragon in carrot soup, thyme in pumpkin soup, basil in tomato soup.
Butterhead lettuce, endive, leek and sorrel make a beautiful soup garnish when cut into very fine strips. This will be chiffonade mentioned. You can also cut chunky vegetables like carrots, turnips, etc. into thin strips and add, whatever julienne is called. Cut the vegetables into cubes and add them to the soup, this is called brunoise.
Eggs
A garnish of eggs is best in clear broths / consommés. You can poach an egg or you can make egg strands. You do this by making a thin batter of eggs and flour. As soon as you add some batter to the soup, it solidifies into threads.
Recipe congealed egg custard
Delicious as a garnish is the congealed egg custard. For 4 people, stir 2 eggs with 4 tablespoons of milk, a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour the mixture into a greased bun bag and cover with a double layer of aluminum foil. Let this solidify in a warm water bath on a low heat for 30 minutes. Remove from mold, but first check whether the custard has set enough. Cut the custard into slices and then into squares or cubes. You can of course also cut out other figures. You can then top it with finely chopped green herbs, paprika or curry powder.
Bread
Many types of bread, in all shapes, are suitable as a garnish for the soup. The pieces of bread can be toasted, baked or left as you bought it. If you are making bread crusts, cut the dice out of bread that is no longer so fresh. Fry these until crispy brown in oil or fat in a frying pan. Serve the bread garnish in the plates and pour the soup over it. Serve immediately so that the garnish remains crispy. You can also give them separately with the soup.
Soup balls
Meat balls in the soup are still a treat. In gastronomy these are common quenelles mentioned. The main ingredient can be meat, fish, poultry or game, but flour, other grain products and meat substitutes are also eligible. The choice depends of course on the type of soup.
Meatballs
The best ground beef is to mix half beef and half pork mince or to take completely lean pork or veal mince. This minced meat can be made up in different ways:
- Mix 250 grams of minced meat with 1 slice of crumbled white bread without crust, 1 egg, pepper, salt and nutmeg
- Mix 250 grams of minced meat with 125 grams of crumbled white bread with crust, 1 ½ egg, pepper, salt and nutmeg
- Mix 250 grams of minced meat with 250 grams of crumbled white bread with crust, 3 eggs, pepper, salt and nutmeg
- Mix 250 grams of minced meat with 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, pepper, salt and nutmeg
You can mix the meatballs with finely chopped vegetables, finely chopped herbs, finely chopped or pressed garlic clove, etc. Process the prepared minced meat into small balls of 1 centimeter in diameter. It is advisable to sprinkle a little flour on the hands or to wet them for a while. Let the balls boil in the water until they float to the top or add them to the boiling soup for the last 5 minutes.
Marrow balls
Cut 3 slices of bread without crust into small cubes. Mix this in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley, 2 eggs, salt and pepper. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to push the marrow out of two marrow bones. Cut 100 grams of marrow into small cubes and add them to the mixture. Roll the mass into a roll of 2 centimeters thick. Divide the roll into pieces of 2 centimeters in length. Let them steep for 10 minutes in gently boiling lightly salted water. Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and let them drain. Add them to the boiling stock or soup.
Veal balls
Place about 200 grams of veal schnitzel in the freezer. Cut the meat, which has become firm due to the cold, into very small cubes. Puree or mix the cubes finely with a little salt, pepper and 1 egg. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of cream and 1 or 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Mix this well and make small balls. Let them steep in gently boiling slightly salted water for 10 minutes. Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and let them drain. Add them to the boiling stock or soup.
Fish balls
This is a refined delicacy in a fish or vegetable stock. You can make them from different types of fish.
Make salmon balls as follows:
Puree or chop 150 grams of ice-cold filleted salmon with 2 shallots very finely. Stir in 2 tablespoons of semi-whipped cream and place the mixture in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Then season it with 1 teaspoon of finely chopped dill, a pinch of salt and some sweet paprika. The whole must become smooth and formable. Roll hazelnut sized balls. Let them steep for 10 minutes in gently boiling lightly salted water and let them drain. Add them to the boiling stock.
Semolina balls
Semolina can be replaced with buckwheat, millet, corn flour or coarsely ground wheat. Stir 2 tablespoons of softened butter with 1 egg, 7 or 8 tablespoons of semolina, pinch of salt and nutmeg. If the mixture is too dry, add a splash of milk. Let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for half an hour. Form small balls with the help of 2 coffee spoons. Let them steep in gently boiling stock for 10 minutes. First make a test ball. If the ball does not stay in the mold or it falls apart, you can add some semolina.
Pastas
Pasta comes in many colors and shapes. They can make a nice soup garnish. Add them to the boiling soup 10 to 15 minutes before serving. For vermicelli, proceed as follows: Sprinkle 30 grams per person in slightly salted water, to which a little oil has been added. Let it be cooked in 3 to 5 minutes. Pour it into a sieve and rinse under the hot tap. Drain and add the vermicelli to the hot stock or soup.
patties
The most famous are the half-moon shaped puff pastry molds. They form a separate accompaniment to the soup.
Breadsticks
You can buy these ready-made in the shops. You can also make them yourself from brioche dough without sugar. You then use the dough to form long thin sausages that you can shape at the ends. They are baked in the oven.
Crêpes
Bake wafer-thin pancakes. Add finely chopped parsley or other fresh herbs to the dough. Let the fried pancakes cool down and cut them into very fine strips. Place them in the preheated plates and pour over the stock or consommé.
Puff pastry lid
For this you serve the soup in oven-proof soup bowls. Roll out the puff pastry thinly. Place a large circle over the edge of the soup bowl. Press it well. Place the bowls in the oven and let the puff pastry bake. Serve it right away.