Soup Types

Become A Soup Connoisseur: Learn The Different Types Of Soup http://www.thenibble.com/

CAPSULE REPORT: Every culture makes soup: Its easy, filling and nutritious. Understand the differences between the soups you enjoy regularlybroth, chowder, consomme, pure and many others. This is Page 1 of a six-page article. Click on the black links below to visit other pages.

Overview For years, many households served a soup course for dinner. Soup and sandwich remains a favorite American lunch. Theres even dessert soup. In the French tradition, soups are classified into two broad groups: clear soups (bouillon and consomm) and thick soups. Most chicken soups are clear soups. Add some cream and youve got a cream soup, in the thick soup category.* *Thick soups are classified depending upon the type of thickening agent used: pures are vegetable soups thickened with starch; bisques are made from pured shellfish thickened with cream; cream soups are thickened with bchamel sauce; and velouts are thickened with eggs, butter and cream. The soup course should complement the rest of the meal. A light soup complements a heavy main course (steaks, chops, stew); a heavier soup goes well with a lighter main course (pasta or grilled fish, for example). A Brief History Of Soup Mankind is may be up to 43,000 years old.(1) And for the majority of our existence, we have had no soup.

The earliest humans had nothing to boil water (or anything else) in. Boiling was not easy to do until the invention of waterproof containers, probably pouches made of clay or animal skin, about 9,000 years ago. According to The Star Ledger, one of the first types of soups can be dated to about 6,000 B.C.(2) Todays soup croutons Our word soup comes evolved from sopspieces of from French soupe, bread soaked with soup. which derived from Vulgar Latin suppa,from the post-classical Latin verb suppare, to soak, which indicated bread soaked in broth, or a liquid poured onto a piece of bread. In Germanic languages, the wordsop, referred to a piece of bread used to soak up soup or a thick stew. The word entered the English language in the seventeenth century exactly as that: soup pored over sops of bread or toast (which evolved

into croutons). Prior to then, soups were called broth or pottage. The bread or toast served as an alternative to using a spoon.

Soup was a poor mans dinner. Until recent times, the evening meal was the lighter of the two meals of the day; a soup or sop would be a typical evening dish. The name of the meal evolved to souper, than supper. It began to be fashionable to serve the liquid broth without the sop (bread), and in the early eighteenth century, soup became a first course.(3) Since its a liquid, why do we eat soup rather than drink soup? Because its served in a dish. If you consume it from a mug or cup, then you can be deemed to be drinking your soup.

ASPIC An aspic is jellied broth made from meat or fish stock. It is refrigerated, where it becomes solid, like gelatin; then is cubed and used as a relish for meat, fish or vegetable dishes. Or, it is used as a filler mold that holds meat, fish or vegetables. See photo at right. AVGOLEMONO SOUP A Greek chicken broth made with egg and lemon juice. BARLEY SOUP Barley, a nourishing grain, has a nutty flavor and a chewy texture like al dente pasta. Its a very good source of fiber (also copper, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, and a good source of copper and). Barley makes a hearty soup, whether on a chicken, beef or vegetarian base. Beef and barley soup and mushroom barley soup are two popular combinations. Aspic isnt soup, but its made from soupspecifically, stock. Here, chicken aspic cloaks chicken, eggs and vegetables. Photo by Anthony Georgeff | Wikimedia.

BEAN SOUP Bean soup can be made with almost any type of bean, generally in a beef or vegetable broth or as a pure. A ham bone is a popular addition. The soup can be single-bean or a blend; 16-bean-soup is the largest combination weve seen. Originally, multibean soups used beans left over from prior days meals. Bean soup is on the menu in of the restaurant in the U.S. Senate every day. Two different recipes are used; both use navy beans and ham. Here are the bean soup recipes if youd like to give them a try. BEEF SOUP Beef soup can span a broad variety of styes, as long as they include some form of beef. They can be bean soups or other vegetable soup with stewed beef, bouillonor consomm with sliced beef or even hamburger soup with ground beef. BLACK BEAN SOUP Black beans are indigenous to Peru* and spread throughout South and Central America by traders and migrating Indian tribes. They were introduced into Europe in the 15th century by Spanish explorers returning from their voyages to the New World and were subsequently spread to Africa and Asia by Spanish and Portuguese traders. Beans are good protein and a very inexpensive form of it, so became an important staple in many parts of the world. All were made into soup; but perhaps the best-known from Latin American cuisines is black bean soup. It is a hearty soup of beans and broth and tomatoes (also indigenous to Peru). It can be made quickly with canned black beans, canned diced tomatoes, chicken broth, onions, carrots and spices. Optionally, sausage, ham or other meat can be

added.Cotija cheese is usually crumbled on top, but feta can be substituted. Black bean soup achieved popularity in the 1970s with a recipe from the Coach House, a legendary former New York City restaurant (now the location of Mario Batalis restaurant Babbo). More French in inspiration, the Coach House recipe black bean soup recipe use bacon and ham hocks, Madeira and chopped hard-cooked eggs. *Along with kidney beans, pinto beans and navy beans which are all known botanically asPhaselous vulgaris, the common bean. These four beans are varieties of this species and genus. BIRDS NEST SOUP A Chinese delicacy, when dissolved in water, the birds nests yield a gelatinous substance used for savory and sweet dessert soups. The substance is supposedly rich in nutrients believed to provide numerous health benefits, from aiding digestion and alleviating asthma to improving the libido and the immune system. Birds nest soup is one of the costliest dishesup to $100 a bowldue to the challenge of obtaining the nests. Hong Kong and the U.S. are the two largest importers of the nests of the White-nest Swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus) and the Black-nest Swiftlet (Aerodramus maximus), the two varieties whose nests are used in the soup. BISQUE A bisque is a thick, rich soup made from fruits, vegetables, game fish or shellfish (particularly crab, lobster and shrimp) and thickened with cream. Popular bisques include chestnut bisque, crab bisque, lobster bisque, squash bisque and tomato bisque. A key difference between a chowder and a bisque is that a bisque is a more elegant recipe, pured until smooth, and often contains sherry. Chowders also contain pork fat back.

Hot borscht with beef and sour cream. Photo by Tanya F. | Wikimedia. BORSCHT or BEET SOUP Borscht dates back at least to Medieval times. It was a food of the poor; beets were plentiful and inexpensive. There are two types of borscht: hot and cold. Both are based on beets, but are otherwise prepared and served differentlyone for winter and one for summer. Hot borscht, which originated in the Ukraine, is a hearty beet soup that can also include carrots, potatoes, spinach and beef or other meat, seasoned with dill. It is usually eaten as a first course with pumpernickel or other dark bread, and can be garnished with sour cream. Almost all Eastern and Central European countries have a version of borscht. Most contain beets, but some have tomatoes or other vegetables as the primary note; some are vegetable soups with no beets. Cold borscht is warm weather fare, a meatless soup served in one of two ways. It can be a clear beet broth cooked with onions, lemon and dill, garnished with sour cream; or the sour cream can be mixed in to create a pink, creamy soup. Either way, it can be served with a cold boiled potato. BOUILLABAISSE Bouillabaisse is a traditional Provenal soup that originated in Marseille (see photo at top of page). It contains a variety of fish, shellfish and vegetables (celery, leeks, onions, potatoes and tomatoes). It is different from other fish soups due to the Provenal herbs and spices in the broth: basil, bay leaf, fennel, garlic, orange peel

and saffron. Bouillabaisse also requires the use of bony local Mediterranean fish.* Finally, it has a distinctive method of serving: Traditionally the broth is served first, in a bowl that contains garlic bread and rouille, a mayonnaise made of olive oil, garlic, saffron and cayenne pepper. The seafood and vegetables are served separately in another bowl. *There are at least three kinds of fish in a traditional bouillabaisse. These can include conger, monkfish (lotte), mullet, scorpionfish (rascasse), sea bream (dorade), sea robin (grondin), silver hake (merlan) and turbot. It also includes crab, langoustine, mussels, sea urchin and octopus. BOUILLON Bouillon is a clear, thin broth made typically by simmering chicken or beef in water with seasonings. It can be consumed in this state, or used as a base for other dishes, sauces, etc. Bouillon can be made from mixed sources, e.g. chicken and vegetables. Bouillon (not to be confused with bouillon cubes) is a stock that is strained, and then served as a clear soup. It can be enhanced with other flavors; for example, sherry, herbs and spices. BROTH Broths is made from a clear stock. The terms bouillon and broth are used interchangeably: a thin soup are made from a clear stock foundation. One way to distinguish them is that a bouillon is always served plain (with an optional garnish), whereas broth can be made more substantive with the addition of a grain (corn, barley, rice) and vegetables. Plain broth is a thin soup, but it can be thickened with starch or the addition of rice, barley, vegetables or eggs. Examples with eggs include Chinese chicken egg drop soup, Greek avgolemono soup and Italian stracciatella soup. See also velout.

CHEESE SOUP Cheese serves as a principle ingredient in many soups. Generally a hearty cheese such as Cheddar, Jack, pepper cheese or Swiss is combined with apples, beer, bacon, broccoli, cauliflower, chicken, ham, sausage, tomato, tuna or other ingredients. Broccoli and cheddar is a popular American soup. An elegant French soup combines blue cheese with celeriac and pear.

Chicken soup in a clear broth. Photo courtesy GrandmasChickenSoup.com

CHICKEN SOUP There are many types of chicken soup, from the clear (aspic, bouillon, broth,consomm and that all-American favorite, chicken noodle) to the thick (cream of chicken soup and a richer and more elegant version, velout). And we cant forget Jewish penicillin, chicken soup with matzoh balls. Then there are the international chicken soups, from Greekavgolemono soup to Italian Stracciatellaand Chinese wonton soup. Chicken can be an ingredient in any type of soupexcept vegetarian soup CHOWDER To many Americans, a chowder is a soup with fish or seafood as the main ingredient, although non-fish chowders such as corn chowder and chicken chowder are also made (see photo of salmon chowder at top of page). Potatoes and other vegetables are typically added and the soup is enriched with salt pork fatback and thickened with flour or crushed soup crackerstwo ingredients that define a chowder. The name derives from the French word for the pot in which such a soup was cooked, chaudire, from the Latin caldaria. The word came to New England via Newfoundland, where Breton fishermen tossed some of the days catch into a large pot to make soup. That soup was originally thickened with crushed ships biscuits; now flour is used. New England clam chowder is made with a milk base; Manhattan clam chowder uses stewed or canned tomatoes instead of milk. The difference between a chowder and a bisque is that a bisque is a more elegant recipe, pured until smooth, and often contains sherry.

Cioppino, a fish stew. Photo by Kelly Sue DeConnick | Wikimedia CIOPPINO While many people think cioppino (pronounced cho-PEA-no) is an Italian dish, this fish stew originated in the North Beach section of San Francisco the late 1800s. Italian-American fishermen would make this hearty dish, based on regional Italian recipes for fish soups and stews, on their boats, using the catch of the day. The San Francisco Bay waters yielded clams, Dungeness crabs, clams, mussels, scallops, shrimp, squid and various fish, which were combined with fresh tomatoes in a wine sauce. The dish caught on at local restaurants, where it was often served over long-cut pasta with a side of toasted sourdough. It has become an American version of bouillabaisse.

Gazpacho, a cold vegetable soup. Photo courtesy Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. COCK-A-LEEKIE SOUP This exotic-sounding soup from Scotland is simply a hot chicken soup made with leeks instead of onions. The first printed recipe, dating to 1598, included prunes. While prunes went out of style in the 19th century, today some cooks garnish the soup with a julienne of prunes. COLD SOUPS Cold soups are those served at room temperature or chilled. While one would think that this is the preferred soup of those living in warm countries, such as the gazpacho of southern Spain, they are also made in cold climes from Russia (borscht) and Scandinavia (fruit soup) to the tarator (cucumber soup) of Bulgaria and the sour cherry soup of Hungary. CONSOMM A consomm is a refined broth. The term in French dates back to the 16th century. Meat or fish broth is clarified; this is usually done with egg whites. Egg whites, tempered with some of the broth, are added to the soup pot. As the whites solidify in the hot soup, they gather up all the floating bits of meat, vegetable, etc. The raft of egg whites that results is removed, leaving a clear soup. This is a much more efficient process than straining the soup several times and the raft, essentially poached egg whites, can be eaten by the cook. Gelatin filtration is much easier for home cooks, but results in a gelatin-free broth. The gelatin that remains

after egg white filtration has a much richer mouthfeel. Food History:Many of our soups date back to the Middle Ages. A dessert consomm, boiled solely with tendons and cartilage and without salt, was sweetened, flavored with fruits and served as dessert. These sweetened consomms evolved into todays gelatin desserts, such as JELL-O. COURT BOUILLON In French, court bouillon means short bouillon, a light stock used for poaching fish or shellfish. It is made from water and the usual mixture of vegetables (carrots, celery and onions) plus herbsbasil, bay leaf, clove, parsley, thymewith the optional addition of white wine or vinegar (for freshwater fish). According to FoodTimeline.org, the term has been used in English texts since the early eighteenth century, but as fish and shellfish were expensive, it was the province of the wealthy.

Tarator, a Bulgarian cucumber soup. Photo by L. Konact | Wikimedia

CUCUMBER SOUP Cucumber soup can be served hot or cold, with a chicken or vegetable stock base, a cream base or Mediterranean-style, with a yogurt base. One Mediterranean version is tarator, popular in the cuisines of Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Iran (Persia), Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey. It is made of yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, walnuts, dill and olive oil. Local variations may add vinegar and/or bread, omit nuts and/or dill. The soup is very refreshing, likeGreek tzatziki and Indian raita thicker versions that serve as dips and spreads (see recipes).

Cream of roasted tomato soup, garnished with shaved cheese and croutons. Photo courtesy Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. CREAM SOUP Cream soup is based on a classic French cream sauce (bchamel*) and is highly nutritious because of the cream protein plus the meat and vegetables (or fish and/or grains). The creamiest of all soups is a velout. It is highly nutritious because of the addition of vegetables, meat, fish or grains. Almost any vegetable can be used in a cream soup (broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, celery, tomato, pea and potato, to offer a few); any seafood (crab, lobster, shrimp, scallop, uni) and milder meats, such as chicken. Combining vegetables and meats is popular. A cream soup can be seasoned largely with spices; for example, curry soup has a consomm and cream

base with curry powder (often apple and onion are added for texture and to layer the flavors). Cream soups can be thickened for heartier winter fare. *Bchamel sauce, named after Louis de Bchameil, marquis de Nointel (1630 1703), is made by stirring 3 tablespoons of flour into 2 tablespoons of melted butter to create a roux; then, when the roux has stopped bubbling, adding two cups of boiled milk plus 1/4 teaspoon salt to the roux and whisking until the sauce forms.

DESSERT SOUP While fruit soups are sweet, they are not necessarily dessert soups, but can be served in the beginning or the middle of the meal. Some cultures have soups specified as desserts. Examples include etrog, a citron soup eaten during the Jewish feast of Succoth; ginataan (guinataan), a Filipino soup made from coconut milk, fruits and tapioca; and oshiruko, a Japanese soup made from the azuki bean (the same bean used to make red bean ice cream). DRY SOUP MIX For hundreds of years before the introduction of dry soup mixes, portable homecrafted soup mixes were carried, rehydrated and consumed by explorers, soldiers and travelers. Water was readily available when restaurants were not. Commercial dried soup mixes were introduced in the 1930s and took off in the 1940s, promoted as a convenience food to busy housewives.

Lobster bisque. Photo courtesy HancockGourmetLobster.com. EGG DROP SOUP A Chinese soup (the literal translation is egg flower soup) is a Chinese soup made of beaten eggs in boiled chicken broth, which create fine strands. Pepper and finely chopped scallions are also commonly added. Stracciatella is an Italian version that includes Parmesan cheese. FISH SOUP There are many fish soups in the worlds cuisines. A fish soup can be of any style, from clear (bouillon, broth andconsomm) to creamy or thick (chowder,cream soup, bisque and stew). The most commonly found in the U.S. arebouillabaisse from France; chowder, lobster bisque and oyster stew from New England; cioppino from San Francisco;Maryland crab chowder and she-crab soup from South Carolina.

French Onion Soup is known for its thick crust of broiled Gruyre cheese. Photo courtesy Mortons The Steakhouse FRENCH ONION SOUP Onion soups date back at least to Roman times. Throughout history, they were sustenance for the poor, as onions were plentiful and inexpensive. Onions were also thought to have restorative powers, making them a perfect choice for a nourishing soup. There are numerous styles of onion soup and related leek soup. French onion soup became popular in the U.S. with the post-World War II growth of French cooking. The recipe, made from beef broth and caramelized onions and served in an individual crock or ramekin, topped with croutons and finished with Gruyre under a broiler (Soupe a lOignon Gratine), developed in 18thcentury France, a descendant of modern French bouillon that emerged in the 17th century, which in turn harkens back to the Medieval sops, a piece of bread over which a soup was poured.