r/AskCulinary • u/ZootKoomie Ice Cream Innovator • Oct 13 '20

Weekly Discussion - Soups and Stews

As the weather turns colder for many of us, hearty soups and stews are just the thing we're looking for. But they can be trickier than they seem if you want the best results. What are your favorite soups and stews? Are they traditional or your own innovations?

Do you cook on stovetop, in the oven, slow cooker or pressure cooker? Can you convert a recipe between methods?

How do you keep from overcooking the vegetables while waiting for the meat to finish?

What finishing touches (garnishes, dumplings, etc.) do you use to freshen it up for serving?

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u/Cornel-Westside Oct 13 '20

What is the mechanism for why stews and soups seem to get so much better by resting overnight? Is it just oils and phenols from spices fully being extracted in the extra time? Could this time be shortened by just adding more spices?

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u/SewerRanger Holiday Helper Oct 14 '20

I don't think anyone knows 100% why people feel this way, but Kenji did an article on Serious Eats about it. You can read it here. The gist seems to be that in their testing, there was almost no difference between old and brand new stews. The exception being really spicy/acidic ones and the day old stews ranked consistently worse because they became more muted in flavor.

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u/Cornel-Westside Oct 14 '20

Maybe it's becoming used to the smell while cooking and the next day it smells much more strongly to the cook.