For me what made a huge difference was adding acid, specially for stews. A hearty splash of vinegar or soy sauce while stewing, or even a dash of lime just before serving takes it from "meh" to "seconds please!".

Sesame oil in ramen definitely takes it to the next level. Another fun addition is liquid dashi concentrate, which lends a nice deep umami flavor.

The other umami adder that's worth playing with is fish sauce. I find that as it cooks it loses its aroma, making it easy to use in a wide variety of recipes.

As someone who makes a lot of soups, the best thing you can do to improve a soup is to make homemade stock and take your time about it.

Thank you for this.

I'm definitely not on the oily broth soup camp, but I guess that's because I barely make broth-based soup. I do love ramen with sesame oil, though!

I prefer creamy soups for winter, whatever the base: lentils, kabocha, black/brown beans, onions, hearts of palm. Super easy to make, if you have a handy blender to make quick work of it. That or oats & milk porridge for breakfast, I'm set for a chilly day.

So I'm just laying in my bed minding my own business and you had to go and make me hungry. May your socks be forever wet and your bendy straws all have holes.