How to make soup less spicy

I like to make soup "grandma-style." You know, a pinch of this, a smidge of that, and a few handfuls of those until things look just right. Tasting as you go, you get to create your masterpiece in the most scientific of ways possible.

Normally, this method serves me pretty well. Seasonings build up, enhancing over time and deepening as the soup simmers.

Yesterday was a whole different story. I started with the normal layer of aromatics -- onions, garlic, and herbs slowly cooking up to a flavorful base for the soup. I knew I wanted a spicier soup, so I went ahead and ground some red pepper flakes and cayenne into this mix, along with oregano, parsley, and garlic powder (as though the eight cloves I minced weren't enough!).

After adding my other ingredients, I tasted the broth. To my dismay, it tasted flat. Not a problem, I thought. I'll just zip it up with a few more cracks of red pepper, and a little salt and pepper to boot. Looking good, right?

Half an hour of simmering, and I was ready to test the soup. First taste? More like first choke. WOW. I felt that in the back of my throat, in my nostrils, in a sweaty upper lip...you get the picture.

So I tried anything I could thing of. Here's what I added: 1/4 cup of heavy cream (I couldn't bring myself to add more than that once I looked at the nutrition info!), 1 cup of water, 2 cups of mushrooms, and 2.5 cups of baby spinach. The after picture:

The result was a spicy, but tolerable soup. I was still sweating profusely by the time I was done my bowl, but I did get an added bonus of extra vegetables in every spicy bite!

Lessons learned:
1. Easy on the spice. If it burns a hole in your mouth, just think what it will do to your stomach.
2. Cream helps mitigate the spice.
3. Extra veggies and other fillers can distribute the spice around a greater volume of food.
4. There may be something valid about measuring cups.

On a completely separate note, I am trying my hand at fixing up furniture! Here's our old (and I do mean old) nighttable before.

After sanding:

Final pictures to come soon! Have a good Tuesday, everybody!