Help! Over-thymed my soup! UPDATED

[happybird]

Last edited Tue Mar 5, 2024, 06:18 PM - Edit history (1)

It’s dried thyme and it came out super fast. I don’t want to add more liquid and don’t have more butternut squash. Is there anything I can add to balance it out?

The only fix I can think of is roasting more carrots, peppers, and onions, purée that down to add more volume? Basically make more of the soup without squash (or thyme!) and blend the two? Hoping there is a quicker way to fix it.

UPDATE:

Yay! Thank you all so much, the soup is fixed and is delicious!

Simmered two small raw, peeled potatoes in the soup for about 30 min. then pulled them out. They did absorb most of the thyme flavor but then the soup was a little bland. Definitely had a mild starchy potato taste and I couldn't taste the cayenne at all anymore.

In the meantime, roasted some more bell pepper. Puréed it with a little more cream of chix soup and a splash of milk, just enough to be the same consistency as the pot of soup. Totally plain, didn't even add salt. Poured that into the pot and stirred well. Then added a little cayenne.

YUM!

Sautéed spinach, garlic, and cherry tomato to put on top and lightly toasted a piece of whole grain bread for dippin'

[marble falls]

1. Have you tasted it first?

[happybird]

2. Oh yeah

It’s very thyme-y.

[marble falls]

3. Is it really licorice-ey and sweet?

[happybird]

8. No, very savory/herbal-y

No licorice flavor at all. The sweetness from the carrots and onions is just right, as is the consistency, and heat from the cayenne.

[marble falls]

13. OK. You need something to absorb flavor. I'd add more carrots and onions, maybe add some boiled white potatoes ...

... spuds do a good job of absorbing flavor and if mashed will thicken it back up. And only as much liquid to bring it to the consistency you want. I'd avoid adding more or new spicing.

Or, start another pot sans spice and mix the two.

[happybird]

14. Got raw potato in there now to see if it will absorb the flavor

I thinking it could use more bell pepper so getting ready to roast some more. Those should be ready by the time the potato experiment is done.
If those fail, going to add dry rice and make it into a risotto type dish.

Thank you!

[Trueblue Texan]

17. To me thyme makes everything taste too sweet

Maybe lemon juice?

[happybird]

19. Thyme doesn't taste sweet to me at all

Tastebuds are so weird! Just out of curiosity, does cilantro taste horrible to you? I can’t stand it, tastes like soap to me which is supposedly genetic.

I’ve got some lemon juice in there already.

[Lochloosa]

4. Maybe drop a few peeled potatoes in for about 30 mins. It helps with oversalted food.

Just remove them after 30 mins.

[badhair77]

7. lol. Look at my response.

We’re on the same wavelength. I only added it because I saw no one had at that point.

[Lochloosa]

9. Great cooking Minds!

[happybird]

10. Wasn't sure if potatoes would help

I know they can absorb salt, but not sure if they’ll suck up other flavors.
I will try that and we’ll see what happens!

Thank you!

[badhair77]

5. Would adding a raw potato help?

And then removing it. That helps with broth that is over salted.

[happybird]

18. Raw, peeled potatoes deployed!

Thank you!

[flor-de-jasmim]

6. I read that rice or beans can help, or milk or cream

[happybird]

12. I'm afraid to add more liquid

because it will make the soup bland… and then I’ll probably end up over spicing again, lol! It’s milk-based.

I’m going to try the raw potato thing and if that doesn’t work then try rice. Make it into a risotto-type thing instead of soup.

Thank you!

[DaBronx]

11. Strain it or spoon it out if you haven't left it in too long.

Good luck

[happybird]

16. It's too late

It went through the blender when I puréed the soup.

Thank you!

[MOMFUDSKI]

20. I would divide it into separate bags and freeze

the soup. Then add a bag to a batch as you go. Start a new pot of soup when you are able to.

[happybird]

21. Got it fixed!

Added then removed raw, peeled potato to suck out some of the flavor then roasted and puréed more bell pepper. It turned out really well!

[badhair77]

22. Great news.

It’s disheartening when you put a lot of work into a project and it goes awry. So glad you could save it.