Life Kit (NPR)

Episode: It's Soup Season! Get Cooking with These Tips from Sohla El-Waylly

Date: September 29, 2025
Host: Marielle Segarra
Guest: Sohla El-Waylly, Chef and Author of Start Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook

Episode Overview

This episode of Life Kit dives into all things soup with chef and cookbook author Sohla El-Waylly. As fall arrives and cozy meals beckon, Sohla shares her best tips and creative ideas for building deeply flavorful soups at home with whatever ingredients you have on hand. The conversation celebrates soup’s accessibility, resourcefulness, and comforting, communal nature—offering a primer for beginners and inspiration for seasoned cooks alike.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Magic of Soup: Flexibility and Comfort

• Soup as Communal Food:

  • Marielle recalls the folk tale "Stone Soup," highlighting how soup brings people together and uses whatever is available. (00:15)
  • Sohla: “Soup kind of gives you that vibe. There’s something about it that's just like cozy and comfy... Soup isn’t like glamorous. It’s not pretty, but it gets the job done.” (01:27)

• Soup’s Forgiving Nature:

  • Sohla encourages cooks to experiment: “You don’t have to really follow a strict formula when it comes to soup. That’s why it's one of those really fun things to start cooking with... It’s all about tasting along the way and adjusting.” (00:49)

Broth: The Backbone of Great Soup (04:18)

• Three Types of Broth:
  • Meat-based: Chicken, beef, or fish made from bones or carcasses.
  • Veggie broth: Simmered vegetables or trimmings.
  • Steeped broths: Like Japanese dashi, made from kombu, bonito flakes, or dried mushrooms.
  • “Once you have one of those very flavorful, intensely savory broths, you really can’t go wrong from there.” – Sohla (05:21)
• Convenience vs. Homemade:
  • Bouillon cubes or powders are “a lifesaver in a pinch,” but when organized, Sohla freezes batches of homemade broth for depth and versatility. (05:50)

Building Flavor: The Soup-Making Process

• Sweating Vegetables and Aromatics:

  • “Sweat just means you’re gonna cut up your veggies or your aromatics... and let it kind of get tired in the hot fat… It pulls out all the aroma.” – Sohla (06:14)
  • Any fat can work—olive oil, bacon fat, chorizo drippings, or just about whatever you have on hand. “It’s another place to layer in some flavor.” (06:50)

• Browning Meat and Sequencing Ingredients:

  • For some meats, brown and remove early, then add back at the end to prevent overcooking (e.g., sausage). For tough cuts, let them simmer with the soup. “Every soup recipe is going to be a little different depending on the ingredients you’re using.” (07:31)
  • “If it’s a little too salty, add more broth; if it’s too thick, add some water—there’s always a way to fix it.” – Sohla (08:15)

Simmering vs. Boiling: Texture & Tradition

• Western (especially French) soups favor gentle simmering for clarity and delicate flavors.
• Eastern (ramen, many Chinese and South Asian soups) often use vigorous boiling for emulsified, creamy, and rich soups.
• “There’s no right or wrong answer—it’s just what vibe are you feeling?” – Sohla (08:43)

Cooking Times and Soup “Genres” (09:25)

• Quick-cooking soups (spinach, shrimp, precooked beans) for a fresh taste.

• Long-simmered soups (earthy with celery, dill, etc.) take on deeper, vegetal flavors.

• “It’s like, what kind of soup are you, what are you craving?” (09:32)

• Smooth vs. Chunky:

  • “I just think about it as smooth and chunky—like peanut butter.” – Sohla (10:26)

Creamy Soups: Tricks & Tools

• For creaminess without dairy: Blend well-cooked veggies (like tomatoes). For richer soups, add cream, coconut milk, butter, or yogurt to finish. (10:43)
• A powerful standing blender is key. “A stick blender… never quite gets you there.” (11:07)
• Safety Tip: Never overfill a blender with hot liquid (no more than halfway), remove the middle plug, and cover with a towel to prevent steam explosions: “Once it gets blended, it really wants to expand and it can explode.” – Sohla (11:43)

Building Deep Flavor: Essential Ingredients

• Alliums (onions, leeks, garlic, etc.): The base for almost any soup, especially important if using bouillon.
  • “When you cook any allium in fat, it just adds this incredible savoriness and depth…” (14:18)
• Flavor Boosters:
  • Parmesan rinds and “a pinch of MSG” for umami.
  • “A pinch of MSG rounds it all out, gives you this savory umami thing that makes you want to keep eating more.” – Sohla (15:22)

Toppings & Leftovers

• Fresh toppings keep big batches interesting: “A different topping can jazz it up.”
  • Suggestions: salsa of onions/herbs/lemon, browned butter spiced drizzles, sour cream, even Fritos. “Fritos on top of everything works.” – Sohla (15:50)
• Soup keeps well (up to 5 days in fridge, 3 months in freezer); reheating tip: add a squeeze of lemon or more salt to refresh flavors (16:38–17:43)

Soup Portability

• For lunch on the go: Use a large, sealable thermos to prevent spills and keep soup warm (17:43–17:56)
• Marielle: “Because I have had soup spill in my tote bag, and it’s a disaster.” (17:43)

Recipe Inspiration: Fall Favorites & Advanced Challenges

• Sohla’s Fall Soup: Honey nut squash roasted with onion, apple, fresno chilies, and finished with blended bone broth. Top with pepitas crisped in brown butter, maple, and chili. (18:15–19:16)

  • “Sizzle some pepitas in a little bit of brown butter with a little maple and chili, and pour that on top. And it is a very tasty soup.” – Sohla (19:17)

• For Soup Pros: Try making pho.

  • “The broth is really nuanced and it can be hard to get the balance of flavor right. Like, it needs just like a tiny bit of star anise… the flavor is really complex…” (19:42)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Soup’s Essence:
  • “You don’t have to really follow a strict formula when it comes to soup. That’s why it's one of those really fun things to start cooking with.” – Sohla (00:49)
  • “Soup kind of gives you that vibe. There's something about it that's just like cozy and comfy. And it feels so primal, like just eating out of one pot.” – Sohla (01:27)
• On Fixing Soup:
  • “If it's a little too salty, add some more broth. If it's a little too thick, add some water... you can constantly find your way back to delicious soup.” – Sohla (08:12)
• On Alliums:
  • “When you cook any allium in fat, it just adds this incredible savoriness and depth...” – Sohla (14:18)
• On Toppings:
  • “Fritos on top of everything works.” – Sohla (16:14)

Key Timestamps for Segments

• 00:15 – Opening discussion on the folk tale “Stone Soup” & the communal spirit of soup
• 04:18 – What makes a good soup? Importance of broth and how to make or substitute it
• 06:12 – Initial cooking steps: sweating vegetables/aromatics and choosing fats
• 08:36 – Simmering vs. boiling; traditions around clarity vs. creaminess
• 10:20 – Categories of soup (smooth/chunky); how to build creaminess
• 11:43 – Blending safety tips
• 14:12 – Must-have soup ingredients (alliums, umami boosters)
• 15:42 – The power of creative toppings
• 16:36 – Leftovers, storage, freezing, and reheating
• 17:43 – Soup transportation hacks
• 18:12 – Sohla's honey nut squash “spooky season” soup
• 19:42 – Advanced soup challenge: homemade pho

Episode Takeaways & Summary

• Start with flavorful broth (keep homemade if possible, but bouillon works).
• Sweat vegetables/aromatics in fat first to layer in flavor.
• Tailor techniques (simmer/boil, ingredient timing) to your desired soup style.
• Use blenders with caution—work in batches and let steam escape.
• Essential base: alliums, plus flavor boosters like Parmesan rind or MSG.
• Dress up leftovers with crunchy, fresh, or creamy toppings.
• Soup keeps and travels well—make extra and invest in good storage.

Inspired to make soup? Choose your own adventure—just taste, adjust, and remember: you can always save a soup!