Vital tips on broth: Building a strong foundation is key to any soup you make

Sometimes, when making soup, it’s all about the base.

And, by base, I mean broth.

Of course, the ideal situation is to have a freezer filled with homemade chicken, beef and vegetable broths — with maybe a fish broth thrown in for good measure.

Alas, that’s not how it works — at least not in my kitchen. Very often, I find myself using a store-bought carton of broth. Mostly, the chicken versions taste chicken-y — although you have to be careful about the sodium level. Try to stick with one with less than 700 milligrams.

The beef ones, which mostly get their flavor from yeast extract and hydrolyzed soy protein, are adequate. In this case, salty is sometimes better.

Vegetable stock, on the other hand, is problematic and can make or break a recipe, especially in a more brothy soup. The store-bought versions range from too bitter to too sweet. Many are way too salty, and some are actually sour-tasting.

In other words, a bad broth can ruin a perfectly good soup recipe.

The best action is to taste-test them to see what pleases your palate. If you need a head start, there are plenty of taste tests online. For instance:

• The Kitchn (thekitchn.com) recommends Imagine Organic Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth.

• The Splendid Table (splendidtable.org) reluctantly went with Kitchen Basics Unsalted Vegetable Cooking Stock.

• America’s Test Kitchen (americastestkitchen.com) opted for Orrington Farms Vegan Chicken Flavored Broth Base and Seasoning.

Personally, I like the Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base, which is readily available in most supermarkets. My only caveat is that it is a salt bomb, so use less than is called for, taste test it as you go, and be mindful when you add other salty ingredients like Parmesan cheese.

All of this came to mind when I was making a Spring Ravioli Soup, which is a perfect light spring/summer meal. This soup uses a Parmesan cheese rind to add a depth of flavor. You drizzle it with pesto and add shaved Parmesan when serving. All are salty, so go easy with the broth base.

I served it with a Caprese salad and warmed French bread, and it was an easy, light, warm-weather dinner — made a lot easier with a store-bought soup base.

• M. Eileen Brown is the Daily Herald’s vice president of sales and marketing and an incurable soup-a-holic. She specializes in vegetarian soups and blogs at soupalooza.com/

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Spring Ravioli Soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

8 cups vegetable broth

Parmesan rind

One 20-ounce package refrigerated cheese ravioli

1 cup frozen peas

2 cups baby arugula

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup shaved Parmesan for serving

Pesto, store bought or homemade for serving

Combine the oil, onions and garlic in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the asparagus, broth and Parmesan rind. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce it to a simmer. Add the ravioli and peas and cook until the ravioli are al dente, 4 to 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat then immediately stir in the arugula and lemon juice. Taste and season the soup with salt and pepper. (If the Parmesan rind hasn’t fully melted, remove and discard it.)

Top with shaved Parmesan and a drizzle of pesto.

Serves 6

— Adapted from foodnetwork.com