area to volume and most pastes have already been cooked,
the process takes only a few moments —just until the spices
start smelling fragrant.
Step 5: Add Your Liquid
Your choice of liquid can have a big impact on the finished
dish.
- Chicken stock is an easy fallback and always a
good choice. It has a neutral, mild flavor that adds
meatiness and savoriness to a dish without overwhelming
any flavors. Likewise vegetable stock can bring similar
complexity, though buyer beware: unlike store-bought
chicken broth, most store-bought vegetable broths are
vile. You’re better off making your own.- Vegetable juice is what you want if you value
intensity of vegetable flavor over balance. Carrots cooked
and pureed in carrot juice will taste insanely carroty. You
can buy many vegetable juices at the supermarket these
days, or juice your own with a home juicer. Mixing and
matching a main ingredient with a different vegetable
juice (like in my recipe for Roasted Squash and Raw
Carrot Soup) can lead to great end results.- Dairy such as milk or buttermilk is a good way to get
yourself a heartier, creamier dish, though dairy fat does
have the tendency to dull bright flavors. This is not
necessarily a bad thing: dairy is the perfect foil for the
intense flavor of broccoli in a creamy broccoli soup, or
tomatoes in a cream of tomato soup, for instance.