Soup

Meaning and Classification

After reading this article you will learn about the meaning
and classification of soup.

Meaning of Soup:
A soup is a flavourful and nutritious liquid food served at the
beginning of a meal or a snack. Traditionally in France, soupé was a
slice of bread on which the contents of a cooking pot (potage) was
poured. Soup was designated as unstrained vegetable meat or fish
soups garnished with bread, pasta, or rice.

However, it is the good stock which gives the body or strength to the
soup. After an appetizer, soup is the first meal in real sense. It is
important to take utmost care in its preparation, as it will create the
first impression on the mind of the guest. Soups have many forms—
some soups are thin and served as broths, while some are served as
clear soups such as consommé.

Certain soups are thick and creamy and they could be just pureed or
thickened with flour and milk, for example, cream soups. Certain
shellfish soups are thickened with rice and pureed such as bisques and
so on. It is very important to focus on the texture of a particular soup,
as textures are peculiar to many soups.

A clear soup will be served crystal clear and the thick creamy soups
should have a smooth velvety finish. Characteristic of one soup might
differ from another, but few most important points are to be kept in
mind while preparing soups. Each soup should reflect its own identity.

The flavour of the main ingredient used should remain prominent.

Consommé should be clear and not cloudy, and broth should contain
even cuts of meats and vegetables, so that it is pleasing to an eyes. The
presentation of a soup is also very important as we know that this
would create the first impression on guests.

Classification of Soups:
Soups are broadly classified into two types—thick soups and thin
soups, which are further classified into various categories. This is done
based on the texture of the soups. However, neither there are certain
soups that are neither thin nor thick and so sometimes certain soups
are also classified into a category called ‘international soups’.

These soups would essentially be the national soups of different

countries. ‘Mulligatawny’ from India and ‘minestrone’ from Italy are
two examples of national soups.
 shows the classification of soups

A. Clear Soups:
1. Broth
A broth is a stock-based soup, which is not thickened. It is served
unpassed and garnished with chopped herbs, vegetables, or meats. For
example, minestrone, scotch broth, etc. Clear soups are thin like
liquid; they never coat the back of the spoon. It is important to have
full-bodied thin soups; otherwise they would taste like water.

The difference between a stock and a broth or bouillon as commonly

referred to in French. While serving broths as soups, one should add
reduced stock or glaze to give body to the soup.
2. Consommé
A consommé is a clear soup which is clarified with egg whites. It is an
old saying that if one can read the date on the dime thrown in four
litres of consommé, then it is a good consommé. It is named after the
garnish used in the soup.’

B. Thick Soups
1. Puree
Puree soups are thick soups made by cooking and then pureeing
vegetables or ingredients used in the soup. For example, lentil soup,
potato soup, etc. One can roast the vegetables to give a better flavour.

2. Velouté
A velouté is a thick soup, which is thickened with a blond roux, passed
and finished with a liaison. They may be vegetable or chicken stock
based, for example, velouté of chicken. A roux is made by cooking
equal amounts of flour and butter over a medium heat. The degree of
cooking of the flour gives its name to the roux. A blonde roux is
obtained by cooking roux until it turns blonde in colour. The texture of
velouté is smooth and velvet like.

3. Cream
A cream soup is a passed thick soup. It may be vegetable based or even
meat based; but most commonly vegetables are used to prepare cream
soups. In classical recipes it is thickened with béchamel and finished
with cream. Examples include cream of tomato, cream of mushroom,
cream of chicken, etc. Modern trends, however, avoid usage of
béchamel sauce because of health reasons and to retain the delicate
flavours of the vegetables.

4. Bisque
It is a shellfish-based soup, which is passed and may be garnished with
dices of the seafood used. Traditionally it is thickened with rice and
finished with cream, for example, lobster bisque.

5. Chowder
Chowders are not strained and traditionally they are seafood-based
soups thickened with potatoes and finished with cream or milk, for
example, clam chowder, seafood chowder, etc. Chowders are from the
USA and the most classical version comes from Manhattan and hence
the name Manhattan chowder.

C. Cold Soups
As the name suggests, these soups are served cold but not chilled.
Chilling would dull the flavours and the soup would taste bland. They
do not form a separate classification, as they may again be thin or
thick, passed or unpassed. Examples of cold soups include jellied
consommé, gazpacho, vichyssoise, etc.

D. International Soups
These again do not form a separate classification as they represent the
region of origin. For example, green turtle soup from England, French
onion soup from France, and mulligatawny from India.