Stanley Tucci Shares Six Essential Tips for Perfecting Soup

New York, NY – Actor and cookbook author Stanley Tucci has become a vocal advocate for the humble soup, calling it “the greatest culinary invention” in his latest book, What I Ate in One Year. In an age of fast-paced dining, Tucci celebrates the versatility and comfort of soup, asserting its place in any kitchen.

“Soup is life in a pot,” Tucci writes, extolling the dish’s adaptability across various diets and occasions. He emphasizes that soup can be enjoyed hot or cold, complex or simple, and insists every season is soup season.

For summer, Tucci suggests using fresh seasonal vegetables like summer squash and tomatoes to create a refreshing summer soup without the need for sautéing ingredients beforehand. His approach aligns with his philosophy that soup should utilize whatever ingredients are readily available. “This soup can easily be altered based on whatever veggies you have in your fridge,” he says, referring to recipes found in The Tucci Cookbook.

Completing the culinary experience, Tucci encourages the use of high-quality olive oil. He advocates drizzling it over various soups, including his summer minestra and ribollita, helping to enhance flavors and brighten heavier dishes like pea and ham hock soup. His commitment to quality extends to using truffle oil in recipes with creamier bases, transforming simple soups into luxurious meals.

One of the secrets to a rich and flavorful soup lies in the stock used. Tucci advises making homemade stock, but also offers a time-saving tip: use leftover soup as a base for new dishes. His grandmother’s chicken soup showcases this technique beautifully, as the broth can be repurposed to create deeper flavors in future meals. His chicken soup with tiny meatballs exemplifies this method, simmering vegetables with a chicken for nuanced depth.

Despite the notion that tomato soup should be quick and straightforward, Tucci reveals valuable time as an ingredient. His Tuscan soup recipe recommends a long simmer for 40 minutes to allow the flavors to deepen. “When cooking anything with tomato, as my mother always says, you want it to lose its ‘tomato-y’ taste,” he writes, explaining that this process mellows the acidity and allows the natural sweetness to shine.

When it comes to garnishes, Tucci believes they can make a significant difference in enhancing the experience of a bowl of soup. One of his unique suggestions includes deep-frying herbs, a technique introduced by his wife, Felicity Blunt. He applies this to his potato-and-leek soup, providing an enjoyable textural contrast to the dish.

Finally, to ensure pasta in soups retains its al dente texture, Tucci recommends cooking pasta separately from the soup itself. This practice, noted in his sister-in-law Emily Blunt’s chicken noodle soup, helps avoid the problem of overcooked noodles.

As more individuals re-engage with cooking in their homes, Tucci’s practical tips aim to inspire soup enthusiasts to explore and innovate in their kitchens.