Tried replicating my grandma's lentil soup from memory last night and it came out tasting like plain dirt

I followed the steps she always did but forgot she used a ham bone for flavor and I just used water. Anyone else find out the hard way that old recipes rely on some hidden fatty ingredient to work?

2 comments

2 Comments

miam7515d ago

That "tasting like plain dirt" bit hit me because I bet the dirt was actually from skipping the ham bone, but also from not browning the aromatics enough. My grandma always said the bone fat does double duty, it carries the flavor from the veggies and makes the lentils feel rich instead of gritty. You basically made a prison version of her soup, sorry to say, but we all learn that shortcut lessons the hard way.

alicecooper15d ago

Read something just last week about how lentil soups from scratch actually need way more fat than people think to not taste like cardboard. The ham bone trick is basically free flavor insurance, and browning the veg is non-negotiable unless you want that raw, muddy taste. That prison version comment is harsh but fair, we've all made a bowl of dirt soup at least once.