4 surprising flavor tricks to make your soups irresistible

If you try a regular rotation of soups for dinner, whether you're cutting back on your calories or just want to simplify your life, boost the umami and other flavor notes with these unexpected flavor spikes when your soup needs a boost.

red boat salt

This salt, infused with Red Boat's famous fish sauce, is expensive but highly concentrated: a little goes a long way. In a soup that uses 4 to 5 cups of broth, I'll use a scant half teaspoon for an instant burst of umami. (A friend once ruined some good steaks by “brining” them in this salt. Use sparingly for maximum benefit.) Try this recipe for Roman-style chickpea and tomato soup with bulgur.

Accent

Yes. monosodium glutamate. Blinded testing has long indicated that MSG is safe and that negative reactions to MSG have not been reproducible in scientific studies. A synthetic glutamate most commonly made from fermented sugar beets, sugar cane, or molasses, MSG is the salty version of glutamic acid, which is found naturally in many foods. It's basically umami in its purest form. Added in moderation, it amplifies the savory flavors.

Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce

I add a teaspoon of chili garlic sauce from famous sriracha makers Huy Fong Foods when the soups are simmering. Like wine, it needs to be cooked a little to settle. In small doses, it adds a warm, subtly spicy touch to soups. Any more and the heat increases.

Ground shiitake mushrooms

In thicker soups (like soups or mashed beans or potatoes), I sometimes add a teaspoon of shiitake mushroom powder, another source of deep umami. In more delicate brothy soups, the powder can add an unwanted cloudy or moldy tone.

More flavor spikes to have on hand

Aleppo pepper, smoked paprika, brewer's yeast, lime and lemon juice, grated lemon peel, fish sauce, Parmesan cheese rinds, finishing salts.