Soup, according to the dictionary, is a liquid food derived from meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables. This definition is all right as far as it goes, but there’s a lot it doesn’t tell us. Is a stock, straight from the stockpot, a soup? Is beef stewing liquid enough to be called a soup? We’re interested more in production techniques than in definitions. However, a few more definitions are necessary before we can go into the kitchen, so we can talk to each other in the same language. Definitions aren’t rules; so don’t be alarmed if you hear other books or chefs use these terms differently. What matters is that you learn the techniques and are able to adapt them to many uses. Classifications of Soups
Soups can be divided into three basic categories: clear or unthicken soups, thick soups, and special soups that don’t fit the first two categories. Most of these soups, no matter what their final ingredients may be, are based on stock.
Clear Soups
Clear soups are all based on a clear, unthicken broth or stock. They may be served plain or garnished with a variety of vegetables and meats.
Vegetable soup is a clear, seasoned stock or broth with the addition of one or more vegetables and, sometimes, meat or poultry products and starches.
Consommé is a rich, flavorful stock or broth that has been clarified to make it perfectly clear and transparent. The process of clarification is a technique we study in detail.
Far from being just a plain old cup of broth, a well-made consommé is one of the greatest of all soups. Its sparkling clarity is a delight to the eye, and its rich, full flavor, strength, and body make it a perfect starter for an elegant dinner.
Thick Soups
Unlike clear soups, thick soups are opaque rather than transparent. They are thickened either by adding a thickening agent, such as a roux, or by puréeing one or more of their ingredients to provide a heavier consistency.
Cream soups are soups thickened with roux, beurre manié, liaison, or other added thickening agents, plus milk and/or cream. They are similar to velouté and béchamel sauces—in fact; they may be made by diluting and flavoring either of these two leading sauces. Cream soups are usually named after their major ingredient, as in cream of chicken or cream of asparagus.
Purées are soups naturally thickened by puréeing one or more of their ingredients.
They are not as smooth and creamy as cream soups. Purées are normally based on starchy ingredients. They may be made from dried legumes (such as split pea soup) or from fresh vegetables with a starchy ingredient, such as potatoes or rice, added. Purées may or may not contain milk or cream.
Bisques are thickened soups made from shellfish. They are usually prepared like cream soups and are almost always finished with cream. The term bisque is sometimes used on menus for a variety of vegetable soups. In these cases, it is really a marketing term rather than a technical term, so it is impossible to give a definition that covers all uses.
Chowders are hearty soups made from fish, shellfish, and/or vegetables. Although they are made in many ways, they usually contain milk and potatoes.
Potage is a term sometimes associated with thick, hearty soups, but it is actually a general term for soup. A clear soup is called a potage clair in French.
Specialty and National Soups
This is a catchall category for soups that don’t fit well into the main categories and soups that are native to particular countries or regions. Specialty soups are distinguished by unusual ingredients or methods, such as turtle soup, gumbo, peanut soup, and cold fruit soup.
Cold soups are sometimes considered specialty soups, and, in fact, some of them are.
But many other popular cold soups, such as jellied consommé, cold cream of cucumber soup, and vichyssoise (vee shee swahz) are simply cold versions of basic clear and thick soups.
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