Everything You Need to Know About Soup!
In many parts of the world, soup is a nourishing breakfast. For much of America’s
history, many households served a soup course for dinner. Soup and sandwich
remains a favorite American lunch. There’s even dessert soup.
In the French tradition, soups are classified into two broad groups: clear soups
(bouillon and consommé) and thick soups. Most chicken soups are clear soups. Add
some cream and you’ve got a cream soup, in the thick soup category.
Thick soups are classified depending upon the type of thickening agent used:
 purées are vegetable soups thickened with starch
 bisques are made from puréed shellfish thickened with cream
 cream soups are thickened with béchamel sauce
 veloutés are thickened with eggs, butter and cream
When serving soup as part of a larger meal, the soup 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).
Soups are most commonly made by combining ingredients (such as meat and
vegetables) with a stock (water or other liquid). The soup is then boiled to form a
broth.
Most soups fall into two categories: clear soups (bouillon and consommé) and thick
soups. Thick soups are classified by the type of thickening agent used. Bisque is
thickened with cream; purees use starch; and cream soups use béchamel (white)
sauce. Other common thickeners are lentils, rice flour and grains.
Soups can be either hot or cold. There are almost endless varieties of hot soups, like
tomato, chicken noodle, beef vegetable and broccoli cheese. Cold soups include
Gazpacho and Vichyssoise, as well chilled avocado or cucumber soups.
But, soups don’t have to include vegetables. Some soups are served as dessert.
Usually made with seasonal fruit, dessert soups can be served either warm or cold.
Other ingredients likely to be used are milk or cream, dumplings, spices and alcoholic
beverages like champagne or brandy. Ginataan is a Filipino dessert soup made with
coconut milk, fruits and tapioca pearls that can be served hot or cold.
Common types of soup are listed below:
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Bisque is a rich, thick, smooth soup that's often made with shellfish, such as
lobster or shrimp.
Chowder is a thick, chunky soup. Traditionally, a chowder is made with
seafood or fish, but chowders made with poultry, vegetables, and cheese have
become popular.
Stock or broth is a strained, thin, clear liquid in which meat, poultry, or fish
has been simmered with vegetables and herbs. While normally used as an
ingredient in other soups, it can be enjoyed as a light course on its own.
Bouillon is basically the same as broth, but the term refers to commercial
dehydrated products sold as granules or cubes.
Consommé is a strong, flavorful meat or fish broth that has been clarified.
Using the recipe magazines and cookbooks provided find a recipe for a bisque or
chowder, a chicken stock based recipe, a beef stock based recipe, a vegetable recipe
and a cold or fruit recipe.
Divide your group so various people are using various print media to find the recipes.
You will be asked to show that you have found all five types of recipes.
Finally, you will choose one recipe that your group would like to make. For that
recipe, you all will have to copy the recipe into your notes. Be careful to copy
correctly as you be creating the recipe and I will need the recipe to buy ingredients
(oh by the way, I need to approve your choice so it must be cost effective).