Okay so last Tuesday I kinda threw myself into this soup flight idea. Honestly? I saw some fancy restaurant doing it online and thought, “Bet I can mess that up myself.” Spoiler: I did, at first. But hey, figure it out I did.
The “What Was I Thinking?” Shopping Trip
First step, groceries. Grabbed my reusable bag – forgot my list, of course. Wandered the aisles like a lost puppy, trying to decide on THREE different soups that wouldn’t clash horribly. Aimed for distinct:
- Light & Brothy: Scoured the veggie section. Grabbed carrots, celery, onions (the holy trinity!), fresh ginger root, a whole chicken. Forgot herbs. Had to run back for parsley and thyme.
- Creamy & Smooth: Heaped the cart with butternut squash, a sweet potato, an onion, a sad-looking fennel bulb (hey, it was cheap!). Found heavy cream hiding near the milk.
- Heart & Rich: Went full comfort. Ground beef, kidney beans, corn, tomatoes, bell peppers. Needed chili powder. Couldn’t find it anywhere. Grabbed paprika and cumin as a panic substitute.
Checkout line felt eternal. Already regretting this ambition.
Sunday Kitchen Chaos: Broth Edition
Started with the broth soup. Needed depth. Chopped the veggies roughly – uneven sizes? Who cares. Sweated them in my biggest pot with some olive oil. Learned the hard way that “sweating” just means soften, not burn. Scraped some crispy bits off the bottom.
Threw in the whole chicken, covered it all with water, brought it to a boil then slammed it down to a simmer. Thought, “Easy!” Walked away. Came back later, skimmed off the nasty foam scum – gross. Fished out the chicken after hours, shredded the meat. Almost forgot to strain the broth! Poured it through a colander over another pot, almost dumped the veggies back in. Saved it.
Seasoned the clear broth carefully – salt, pepper, a good pinch of that ginger. Added the shredded chicken back to some of it (not all!). Tasted clean and light, mission accomplished for soup #1.
Smooth Operator (Mostly): Squash Saga
Peeling butternut squash is a workout. Almost lost a thumb. Cubed it, chopped the sweet potato, fennel, onion. Threw it all on a baking sheet with oil, salt, pepper. Roasted until soft and smelling amazing.
Transferred the roasted mess to a pot. Poured in some of my homemade veggie stock from broth day (see? Efficiency!). Simmered. Went for my immersion blender. First mistake: didn’t let it cool enough. Hot orange puree volcano erupting over the stove. Cursed.
Calmed it down, finally blended it smooth. Added a SPLASH of cream. Seasoned again. Needed more salt. Needed more pepper. Added a tiny bit of maple syrup? Suddenly it sang. Creamy texture achieved (after cleaning the walls). Soup #2.
The Heart Attack: Beefy Business
This was the messy one. Browned the ground beef in my trusty Dutch oven. It stuck. Scraped hard. Added chopped onions, bell peppers. Sweated them with the beef fat. Realized I forgot garlic. Crushed some cloves – lazy style – threw them in.
Dumped in tomatoes, rinsed beans, corn. Stirred. Seasoned with that paprika-cumin mix, salt, pepper. Tasted watery and weak. Disaster looming.
Panic move: spooned some into a mug. Too watery! Let it simmer longer than planned, lid off, to thicken. Reduced it down. Flavors concentrated. The spice blend actually worked! Became rich, hearty, satisfying. Soup #3 saved!
The Main Event: Flight Night (Tips Learned!)
Made small servings – tiny teacups worked great, but coffee mugs would do. Presentation counts when you’re fancy!
Order Matters: Learned this live. Start light (chicken ginger broth), move creamy (butternut), finish rich (beef chili). Anything else ruins your taste buds.
Texture Talk: The contrast was KEY. Clear liquid, velvet smooth puree, chunky beef and beans. Made each bite feel different.
Taste Bomb Tip: Serve the creamy and rich ones a little hotter. Brings out their flavor better against the light one.
Garnish Game: Threw fresh parsley on the broth, a drip of cream on the squash, green onions on the chili. Makes it look less like slop.
Tiny is Mighty:
Honestly? Trying three full bowls is a bellyache. Small tastes keep it fun and lets you compare without rolling on the floor. Everyone just sampled, talked, compared. It was noisy and fun! Yeah, it was more work than a single pot. Yeah, I made mistakes. Burned the chicken broth veggies, spilled squash everywhere, almost ruined the chili. But seeing people go “Ooh!” when they tried the three little cups back-to-back? Worth the chaos. The magic isn’t just good soup. It’s the journey from broth to puree to stew on your tongue. Contrast, temperature, order. That’s what makes it a “flight.” That’s the special sauce. Messy, tasty, fun. Give it a shot!Bottom Line
