Cooking & Baking

happybird

(4,608 posts) Tue Mar 5, 2024, 05:32 PM Mar 5

Help! Over-thymed my soup! UPDATED

Last edited Tue Mar 5, 2024, 07:18 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'

22 replies

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Highlight:

Help! Over-thymed my soup! UPDATED (Original Post) happybird Mar 5 OP

Have you tasted it first? marble falls Mar 5 #1

Oh yeah happybird Mar 5 #2

Is it really licorice-ey and sweet? marble falls Mar 5 #3

No, very savory/herbal-y happybird Mar 5 #8

OK. You need something to absorb flavor. I'd add more carrots and onions, maybe add some boiled white potatoes ... marble falls Mar 5 #13

Got raw potato in there now to see if it will absorb the flavor happybird Mar 5 #14

To me thyme makes everything taste too sweet Trueblue Texan Mar 5 #17

Thyme doesn't taste sweet to me at all happybird Mar 5 #19

Maybe drop a few peeled potatoes in for about 30 mins. It helps with oversalted food. Lochloosa Mar 5 #4

lol. Look at my response. badhair77 Mar 5 #7

Great cooking Minds! Lochloosa Mar 5 #9

Wasn't sure if potatoes would help happybird Mar 5 #10

This message was self-deleted by its author happybird Mar 5 #15

Would adding a raw potato help? badhair77 Mar 5 #5

Raw, peeled potatoes deployed! happybird Mar 5 #18

I read that rice or beans can help, or milk or cream flor-de-jasmim Mar 5 #6

I'm afraid to add more liquid happybird Mar 5 #12

Strain it or spoon it out if you haven't left it in too long. DaBronx Mar 5 #11

It's too late happybird Mar 5 #16

I would divide it into separate bags and freeze MOMFUDSKI Mar 5 #20

Got it fixed! happybird Mar 5 #21

Great news. badhair77 Mar 5 #22

marble falls

(57,097 posts)

1. Have you tasted it first?

Reply to happybird (Original post)

Tue Mar 5, 2024, 05:34 PM

Mar 5

happybird

(4,608 posts)

2. Oh yeah

Reply to marble falls (Reply #1)

Tue Mar 5, 2024, 05:35 PM

Mar 5

It’s very thyme-y.

marble falls

(57,097 posts)

3. Is it really licorice-ey and sweet?

Reply to happybird (Reply #2)

Tue Mar 5, 2024, 05:36 PM

Mar 5

happybird

(4,608 posts)

8. No, very savory/herbal-y

Reply to marble falls (Reply #3)

Tue Mar 5, 2024, 05:41 PM

Mar 5

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

(57,097 posts)

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

Reply to happybird (Reply #8)

Tue Mar 5, 2024, 05:50 PM

Mar 5

... 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

(4,608 posts)

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

Reply to marble falls (Reply #13)

Tue Mar 5, 2024, 05:57 PM

Mar 5

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

(2,430 posts)

17. To me thyme makes everything taste too sweet

Reply to happybird (Reply #8)

Tue Mar 5, 2024, 06:00 PM

Mar 5

Maybe lemon juice?

happybird

(4,608 posts)

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

Reply to Trueblue Texan (Reply #17)

Tue Mar 5, 2024, 06:13 PM

Mar 5

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

(16,065 posts)

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

Reply to happybird (Original post)

Tue Mar 5, 2024, 05:39 PM

Mar 5

Just remove them after 30 mins.

badhair77

(4,218 posts)

7. lol. Look at my response.

Reply to Lochloosa (Reply #4)

Tue Mar 5, 2024, 05:41 PM

Mar 5

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

Lochloosa

(16,065 posts)

9. Great cooking Minds!

Reply to badhair77 (Reply #7)

Tue Mar 5, 2024, 05:42 PM

Mar 5

happybird

(4,608 posts)

10. Wasn't sure if potatoes would help

Reply to Lochloosa (Reply #4)

Tue Mar 5, 2024, 05:43 PM

Mar 5

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!

Response to Lochloosa (Reply #4)

happybird This message was self-deleted by its author.

badhair77

(4,218 posts)

5. Would adding a raw potato help?

Reply to happybird (Original post)

Tue Mar 5, 2024, 05:39 PM

Mar 5

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

happybird

(4,608 posts)

18. Raw, peeled potatoes deployed!

Reply to badhair77 (Reply #5)

Tue Mar 5, 2024, 06:00 PM

Mar 5

Thank you!

flor-de-jasmim

(2,125 posts)

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

Reply to happybird (Original post)

Tue Mar 5, 2024, 05:40 PM

Mar 5

happybird

(4,608 posts)

12. I'm afraid to add more liquid

Reply to flor-de-jasmim (Reply #6)

Tue Mar 5, 2024, 05:46 PM

Mar 5

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!