Understanding the Difference Between Soup Starter and Soup Mix, and Where does Bouillon Fit In?

Food should be fun. Being confused about food options rarely is, especially when all you really want is a comforting bowl of soup. So what’s the deal (and the difference) between these dry powders, cubes, or concentrates that somehow become magical soup dust? 

 

What Is a Soup Starter?

A soup starter lets you speed through the beginnings. Some people think of it as the base or foundation for making soup, but I like to think about it as the fast track to the fun part. Soup starters won’t take you all the way to that bowl of deliciousness on their own, but they set the stage so you can let your creativity with flavors loose on the stove. Even if you love chopping all your own veggies and cooking from scratch, a soup starter can come in handy in a pinch. For instance, if you’re snowed in or just don’t want to head out to the store on a cold winter night to satisfy your soup craving on those days your refrigerator is running low on the fresh stuff.

What Makes Up a Soup Starter?

The ingredients in a soup starter can vary widely depending on the flavor profile you're going for. 

• Alliums – Most starters will contain alliums like onions, garlic, or shallots because of their intense, distinctive flavors.
• Stock – Some soup starters are made from premade broth or stock, which can be made with meat, or it can be purely vegetarian or vegan. This stock is usually freeze-dried and ground into a powder.
• Veggies and herbs – Many soup starters contain herbs, like thyme, bay leaves, and parsley. These set the basic tone for you to build off of, while chopped or ground vegetables give the starter body and deepen the flavor.
• Seasoning – Salt and other seasonings may also be added for flavor, but not always.

The more ingredients your soup starter has, the more it guides your soup toward a specific flavor profile. The more ingredients in your soup starter, the less you have to add yourself. It’s up to your own tastes, abilities, and energy levels whether you choose a simple starter as a way to fuel your kitchen creativity or a more robust mix where you’re mostly adding the finishing touches.

Some starter kits are simple powders, while others come with additional dry ingredients like lentils or rice that will need to be cooked in the broth. Still others are more like a “soup paste” or concentrated base.

How to Use a Soup Starter

Soup starters are a great fit for when you’re in the mood for a tasty homemade meal but don’t have the time (or inclination) to chop, sauté, and simmer for hours. Typically, you just add the soup starter to your pot, along with water or other liquids, then build out the flavor with additional herbs, veggies, proteins, starches or spices of your choosing. Then sit back and let it simmer for a while to allow the flavors to meld together.

Pro Tip: Soup starters can be used to speed up the process of making other meals as well. You can use them as a base for sauces or marinades, or sprinkle dry mixes over just-cooked rice, potatoes or pasta and let the steam blend the flavors just like any seasoning mix.

 

What Is a Soup Mix?

A soup mix is a combination of dry ingredients (often with seasonings) that you add to liquid to make soup. It’s usually more "set it and forget it" than a soup starter, because although you of course can add more to it if you want, a soup mix is meant to be able to stand on its own.

What’s in a Soup Mix?

The ingredients in a soup mix usually include many of the same items in a soup starter: alliums, other vegetables, and usually herbs and spices. Here’s where they differ:

• Proteins – While soup starters may have proteins included, soup mixes are intended to make a full meal so they almost always do. This may be vegan protein like lentils, split peas, beans, or quinoa, or they may be meat proteins such as chicken, beef, turkey, or fish. Soup mixes with lentils, peas, or beans may require a longer cooking time but create a very hearty, energizing soup.
• Dried vegetables – While soup starters may contain either ground or chopped vegetables, soup mixes usually include some form of chopped vegetables. Because they’re meant to be eaten without additions, the chunks of veggies can make the soup feel more filling.
• Salt – One thing to watch on soup mixes (and soup starters too!) is the salt content. Salt is a great flavor enhancer and many soups taste flat and boring without it, but “too salty” vs. “not salty enough” can be a matter of personal taste, so it’s a good idea to look for lower salt content. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out!
• Other seasonings – Soup mixes nearly always include seasonings to create a full and distinctive flavor profile.

 

How to Use a Soup Mix

Using a soup mix is simple: just add it to water, broth, or stock, bring it to a boil, and then turn down the heat and let it simmer. Soup mixes don’t require any chopping or thinking up flavor combinations, which is great when you’re tired and want to get to the eating part as soon as possible.

Pro Tip: While soup mixes are designed to be a quick and easy way to prepare soup, they sometimes lack depth of flavor. To fix this, you can add a splash of vinegar or a squeeze of citrus at the end to brighten the flavor, or top with creme fraiche or plain yogurt and some fresh herbs for a more vibrant taste.

Comparing soup mixes and soup starters: The good news with soup mixes is you don’t have to add anything. The downside? You usually can’t take a soup mix in a new direction by simply adding different spices. For example, it would be very difficult to modify a minestrone soup mix if you were in more of a lemon chicken orzo soup kind of a mood. With a soup starter, you have to put in more effort, but a simple veggie base could go toward minestrone with the addition of canned tomatoes and a few other ingredients, or let you get your Greek going by adding that lemon and orzo along with a bit of chicken.

 

Where Does Bouillon Fit In?

Next up on the menu: Bouillon! A secret ingredient for chefs everywhere (oops, we let that secret out… but you know we like our ingredients to be obvious), bouillon is a highly concentrated broth, usually freeze-dried. It is often sold in cubes, but can also be a powder or paste. Like both soup mixes and starters, it can contain proteins, veggies, herbs, and spices. Most bouillon also contains salt (often a whole lot of it), but a key difference between bouillon and soup mixes or starters, other than how highly concentrated it is, is that many brands contain fat as well, adding richness to the finished soup.

How to Use Bouillon

To use bouillon, you typically dissolve it in hot water. Bouillon is incredibly versatile and can be used to make soups, stews, gravies, sauces, or even as a seasoning for rice or vegetables. Like mixes and starters, bouillon is shelf-stable, which makes it handy to have around.

Wait… Doesn’t That Mean Bouillon Is a Soup Starter?

Shh! You weren’t supposed to tell. Yes, you can use bouillon like any soup starter as the base of an otherwise-homemade soup, or you can add it to other recipes, such as casseroles or slow cooker meals, to enrich the flavors. The difference between bouillon and other types of soup starters is that it’s just a really concentrated broth, so you’ll need to add other ingredients along with water. With other soup starters, you might add broth or water, but fewer other ingredients like veggies or herbs. Or you could combine some bouillon with a soup starter and see what happens!

Pro Tip: Bored with plain rice but on a budget? Dissolve some bouillon in your water before cooking the rice in it, then top with chopped scallions and whatever else you have on hand to make a quick and easy meal.

Comparing Soup Starters, Soup Mixes, and Bouillon

If your a TL;DR kind of person, here’s a quick summary of the key differences:

1. Soup Starters:
• Designed to cut down on prep time and effort
• You’ll need to add other ingredients to make the soup your own
• Lets you play with flavors more creatively
• Can also be used as a sauce starter or marinade mix

2. Soup Mixes:

• Designed to be eaten without extra additions (minimal prep time and effort)
• Usually contain everything needed for a meal
• Some require longer cooking times, depending on ingredients

3. Bouillon:

• Concentrated broth
• Cuts down on prep time
• You’ll need to add other ingredients to complete the soup
• Strong flavor, but you can take it in different directions with additional ingredients

 

Which One Should You Use?

The choice between a soup starter, soup mix, or bouillon depends on what you're looking for. The best way to decide is to ask yourself how much effort you want to put into the soup. If it’s minimal, a soup mix is the way to go. If you want to get more creative, pick a soup starter. For strong, savory flavor, grab the bouillon. Beyond that, always read the ingredients carefully! Think about the flavor profile you want to create, and which ingredients might support that or get in its way.

Final Thoughts

In the end, each of these products serves a slightly different purpose, but they all help you make great-tasting soups, and that makes us (and hopefully you, too) food happy!

One last thought… as you look through the many varieties of soup mixes, starters, and bouillons out there, keep a keen eye on the ingredients. We already talked a bit about salt, but because these products are nearly always shelf-stable, some brands add extra ingredients to prolong the shelf life a little further. As avid label-readers ourselves, we always opt for products without additives or preservatives when we can, and check closely for potential allergens if you have allergies or sensitivities.

 

Happy cooking, and happy soup season!