Maybe vodka will improve things?
August 11, 2010 4:41 PM Subscribe
I made Ina Garten's roasted tomato soup and accidentally put in way too much dried thyme. It's tasty, but difficult to enjoy as soup. How do I rescue my soup? If I can't rescue it, what else can I do with it?
Thyme gets overpowering quickly. You could freeze it in ice cubes and throw it in future batches of soup and/or pasta sauce? A cube or two of that in minestrone would probably be good also.
A few tablespoons with some balsamic vinegar and twice as much olive oil would probably be a good salad dressing.
I think you'd need to treat it as a seasoning, basically. But a really good seasoning.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 4:49 PM on August 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
A few tablespoons with some balsamic vinegar and twice as much olive oil would probably be a good salad dressing.
I think you'd need to treat it as a seasoning, basically. But a really good seasoning.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 4:49 PM on August 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: It's difficult to enjoy because it tastes too thyme-y. The texture is fine.
posted by millions of peaches at 4:50 PM on August 11, 2010
posted by millions of peaches at 4:50 PM on August 11, 2010
I imagine straining it might not work -- her pureed soups tend to be thick, and therefore unstrainable.
I'd saute some garlic, add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste -- brown the tomato paste -- and then add the soup. Cook it down to a sauce and serve with pasta. The tomato paste will give it more structure.
If the problem is that there's too much thyme flavor, I think you need to add more tomatoes/onions/stock, then cook it down some more.
posted by mudpuppie at 4:52 PM on August 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'd saute some garlic, add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste -- brown the tomato paste -- and then add the soup. Cook it down to a sauce and serve with pasta. The tomato paste will give it more structure.
If the problem is that there's too much thyme flavor, I think you need to add more tomatoes/onions/stock, then cook it down some more.
posted by mudpuppie at 4:52 PM on August 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
How about roasting some more tomatoes and adding them?
posted by fixedgear at 4:52 PM on August 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by fixedgear at 4:52 PM on August 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
Add enough ingredients to make the thyme the proper ratio and freeze the excess. Sometimes adding heat/spice can cancel out other flavors a bit. Maybe take a small portion ans play with adding other things /spices to see what works then apply to the remainder?
posted by marimeko at 5:03 PM on August 11, 2010
posted by marimeko at 5:03 PM on August 11, 2010
Herbs tend to fade with long, hot cooking. Boil the shit out of it?
Use it as a marinade for chicken?
Thyme can be a tex-mex ingredient, so maybe ramp up cinnamon and pepper for an exaggerated triad?
posted by StickyCarpet at 5:09 PM on August 11, 2010
Use it as a marinade for chicken?
Thyme can be a tex-mex ingredient, so maybe ramp up cinnamon and pepper for an exaggerated triad?
posted by StickyCarpet at 5:09 PM on August 11, 2010
Add some water add some rough chopped potatoes, hopefully they will "catch" the oils from the thyme.
Or embiggin the recipe.
posted by Max Power at 5:13 PM on August 11, 2010
Or embiggin the recipe.
posted by Max Power at 5:13 PM on August 11, 2010
Refrigerate this soup. Make a new soup that's the same except with no herbs. Then blend them and reheat.
Do not add vodka.
posted by Jaltcoh at 5:18 PM on August 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Do not add vodka.
posted by Jaltcoh at 5:18 PM on August 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Adding some dairy, in the form of cream or creme fraiche or a chevre - as a swirl, or converting some of your soup to a "cream of roasted tomato" - will probably help cut the astringency of the thyme without wrecking things. You might still want to roast some more tomatoes, or brown some tomato paste, just to help the tomatoes compete a little bit better.
posted by janell at 5:19 PM on August 11, 2010
posted by janell at 5:19 PM on August 11, 2010
I would also suggest cream. Just try it with a mugful to see if it'll balance out.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 6:47 PM on August 11, 2010
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 6:47 PM on August 11, 2010
Response by poster: Would Greek yogurt work instead of cream?
posted by millions of peaches at 6:47 PM on August 11, 2010
posted by millions of peaches at 6:47 PM on August 11, 2010
How about this: dredge some chicken pieces in flour and brown them in a pan, lay them in a casserole dish, cover with the soup, and simmer on a low heat. Add a tablespoon of sour cream before serving with rice.
posted by hot soup girl at 6:49 PM on August 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by hot soup girl at 6:49 PM on August 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Would Greek yogurt work instead of cream?
Yes, if it's plain and you don't cook it thoroughly after adding it.
posted by Jaltcoh at 7:12 PM on August 11, 2010
Yes, if it's plain and you don't cook it thoroughly after adding it.
posted by Jaltcoh at 7:12 PM on August 11, 2010
you could also use it as a poaching liquid for fish or chicken, or watered down as a broth for risotto, both.
posted by heeeraldo at 12:04 AM on August 12, 2010
posted by heeeraldo at 12:04 AM on August 12, 2010
...both of which would diffuse the flavor into something else.
(damn you lack of edit!)
posted by heeeraldo at 12:04 AM on August 12, 2010
(damn you lack of edit!)
posted by heeeraldo at 12:04 AM on August 12, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
If it's texture, have you tried straining it to see if that helps?
posted by BZArcher at 4:47 PM on August 11, 2010