Pot Likker Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to use pot likker? ›

Just like with chicken or beef stock, potlikker layers flavors and can be used as a base for everything from soups to gravies to dressings. Or you can simply eat it alone, dipping cornbread into the rich, savory elixir.

Pot liquor, sometimes spelled potlikker or pot likker, is the liquid that is left behind after boiling greens (collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens) or beans. It is sometimes seasoned with salt and pepper, smoked pork or smoked turkey.

Whole milk or half-and-half also thicken up the soup. I've even made it with half the amount (1/2 cup or 120ml) heavy cream in a pinch. (Add more chicken broth if you use heavy cream; see recipe Note.) Nice and thick, without being too heavy.

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

Don't toss that broth! Potlikker — the liquid left behind after boiling collards — is loaded with vitamins and minerals. Plus, it's delicious.

lik•ker (lik′ər), n. [Eye Dialect.] liquor.

From kale to collards to turnips, we've learned to embrace their nutrient-packed bitterness. So here's a tip: When you're cooking up a big pot of greens, don't toss out what may be the most nutritious part — the brothy water that's left in the pot. Lots of the beneficial nutrients cook out of the greens.

It was a staple food eaten by enslaved people in the South, often eaten along with baked or fried cornbread either dipped or crumbled into the potlikker. By the early 1850s, potlikker was a mainstay in Southern diets.

Dried herbs and seasonings: homemade seasoned salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and dried bay leaves lend flavor to the soup. Stock: I much prefer chicken stock over vegetable stock in terms of flavor, though if you want to keep this soup vegetarian, feel free to use vegetable broth or stock instead.

What gives soup a good taste? ›

"Ground paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ground ginger, and other powdered spices add a touch of color and spiciness to broths," she says. As a general rule, use fresh herbs at or near the end of cooking and dried herbs and spices early on. This helps you get the flavors you're looking for in the right balance.

You can extract a clean, strong broth from a combination of water and several pantry ingredients. It's all about layering powerful flavor-enhancers that you probably already have on hand—bacon, tomato paste, herbs, peppercorns, a Parmesan rind, and, of course, kosher salt.

Most soups would be simmered covered to capture the moisture, however, if the soup needs to be reduced because you added too much liquid then uncovered is the way to go. If you are simmering uncovered it's best to check on the soup often to make sure it hasn't reduced down too much.

The Sugar Pie Pumpkin is often considered the crème de la crème of cooking pumpkins. Its deep orange flesh is sweet, smooth, and creamy, making it perfect for pies, soups, and purees. This culinary gem pairs beautifully with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, creating irresistible autumnal flavors.

First, the starch in the potatoes will help thicken it. I also whisk together some flour and milk and add it to the soup to give it some body.

But, like the leafy greens that give this broth its dark green color, pot liquor is rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin A and iron. And while old-timers used to chug it as a tonic, some of today's modern Southern chefs use pot liquor to elevate the flavors of other dishes.

From kale to collards to turnips, we've learned to embrace their nutrient-packed bitterness. So here's a tip: When you're cooking up a big pot of greens, don't toss out what may be the most nutritious part — the brothy water that's left in the pot. Lots of the beneficial nutrients cook out of the greens.

pot-liquor (n.) "liquid in which meat has been boiled," 1744, from pot (n. 1) + liquor (n.).

original usage for word\name derived from logging camps in the mid 1800's; kitchen helper at the logging camp who got what was left over in the "pots" after feeding the crew. a worthless or disgusting person. Potlicker (idiom): little person, small competitor; originally a dog or other pet.